I.

INTRODUCTION
The Coconut Palace majestically
stands within the Philippine Cultural
Center Complex. Highlighted as one of
the CCP’s most striking structure for its
architecture and interiors, the coconut
triumphs as the ultimate “Tree of Life”.
From its roots to its trunk, its bark, fruit,
flower and its shell, all have been the
source of design forms, elements, and
ornaments throughout the structure.

The Coconut Palace stands as a

Figure 1.from thtps://www.istockphoto.com/photo
shining example of the ingenuity of the
Filipino. It interprets, transforms and
manipulates indigenous materials into works of arts that best simplifies the unique craft
of the building and design of the Philippines.

II. ABOUT THE ARCHITECT

According to Bondoc (2018), after having numerous
outstanding contributions in the field of Architecture,
Francisco ‘Bobby’ Mañosa was finally named as New
National Artist in Architecture. According to the official
gazette of the Philippines, a National Artist is a Filipino
citizen who has been given the rank and title of National
Artist in recognition of his or her significant contributions to
the development of Philippine arts and letters. The rank and
title of National Artist is conferred by means of a
Presidential Proclamation. It recognizes excellence in the
fields of Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film
and Broadcast Arts, and Architecture or Allied Arts. Bobby
Mañosa is a Filipino architect known for his advocacy of
Figure 2. from
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/bobby- promoting and upholding the Filipino architecture for his
manosa whole 40 years of practice.

III. COCONUT PALACE HISTORY

According to Wagner (2015), Coconut Palace was built over a 14-month period
1978-81 by the First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul's visit in 1981. The Pope was
reportedly appalled at the cost (a rumored P37 million) and extravagance of the
building (when there was such poverty in the Philippines), and he refused to stay there
and stayed at the Papal Nuncio’s residence instead.

 In the early 1980s the Coconut Palace was used as the guest house of
President Ferdinand Marcos.
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  After the end of the Marcos era, the outdoor grassed area between the
Coconut Palace’s swimming pool and Manila Bay and the downstairs living
area were rented out for wedding receptions and parties. The venue was
particularly popular due to its spectacular views of sunsets across Manila Bay.
 Over the years a number of heads of state (such as President Gaddafi of
Libya) and celebrities (such as Brooke Shields and George Hamilton) have
stayed in the Palace.
 In 2009 the Palace became the official office and residence of the Vice-
President of the Philippines. Almost all of the Palace is able to be visited by
individuals and groups (but for security reasons weddings and parties are no
longer permitted).

IV. COCONUT PALACE EXTERIOR

According to Manosa & Co

Inc.(2012), Manosa had to marry
divergent concerns and weave them
into a unified whole. Initially conceived
as a guest house for visiting artists,
eventually it evolved into a showcase
for the richness and diversity of
Philippine culture.
Figure 3. from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo

4.1 SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Figure 4. from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo

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 The Tahanang Pilipino was planned on a design of interlocking hexagons
and partial hexagons set in a honeycomb pattern.

a. HEXAGON: The idea of the hexagon as the unifying design

element as arrived at through serendipity: when sewn for planks, a
coconut tree trunk is first shaped into a six-sided column. A fresh coconut
is also opened by trimming the husk along six sides. In any case, the
recurrent hexagonal shapes within and without lend a sense of organic
unity to the Tahanang Pilipino's spaces. The hexagon is mirrored and
echoed in the inlay pattern on the marble floors, in the shape of the
swimming pool, in the twin staircases that lead from the main floor to the
upper rooms, and in the subtler details of the interior.

b. BAHAY NA BATO: In its basic form, the Tahanang Pilipino derives

from the bahay na bato ancestral home, but on a grand scale. Like the
ancestral home, it has a ground floor of stone and an upper floor of
wood. But an imaginative reconfiguring of the ancestral home's
distinctive design forms as well as its central idea of "space surrounded by
space" make it a completely contemporary interpretation.

c. SALAKOT: The most imposing exterior feature is the six-sided

domes double roof of coconut wood shingles, whose shape suggests a
salakot, or farmer’s gourd hat. Supporting and balancing the mass of the
roof are a series of paired columns which are actually inverted coconut
trunks, with their distinctive bulge at the root end forming capitals.

4.2 ELEVATIONS/VIEWS

REAR ELEVATION DURING DAY

Figure 5. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

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 REAR ELEVATION DURING NIGHT

Figure 6. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

a. EXTERIOR MATERIALS: The Coconut Palace, is Built in 1978, it is made of several

types of Philippine Materials, hardwood, Coconut shells, and a specially
engineered coconut lumber apparently known as Imelda Madera.

The Palace is mostly built of coconut by-products. The idea is to show the
most famous tree of the Philippines and how its parts (tree trunk, bark, shells,
flowers, roots) are creatively used in many aspects of daily life in the country. It
aims to depict the coconut tree as truly the Philippine’s "tree of life". Not only the
materials but also the design, decor and ornamentation, not only in the building
but the furniture it contains, all combine to communicate this message.

FRONT ELEVATION

Figure 7. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

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 RIGHT SIDE ELEVATION

Figure 8. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

According to Wagner (2015), every piece in this Palace has its own
meaning and tradition. Why it is called the Coconut Palace? Coconut give us
food, money and Coconut is known as Tree of life from the coconut’s roots to its
trunk, bark, fruit, flower and shell. the palace is designed and formed to echo
these elements. The architectural structure is made of 70 percent treated
coconut lumber. Most of the materials in the Palace are native materials.

V. COCONUT PALACE INTERIOR

5.1 FLOOR PLAN

Figure 9. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

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a. LAYOUT OF THE PALACE:
 Downstairs is a large state dining room and Ferdinand Marcos’s library.
 Upstairs are seven lavish guestrooms, each in the style of one of the
regions of the Philippines:
1. Zamboanga Room – the first room which said to be George
Hamilton’s favorite
2. Pampanga Room – includes statues made of lahar (solidified lava)
taken from Mt. Pinatubo
3. Marawi Room – showcases Muslim Mindanao
4. Bicol Room – Imelda Marcos’ favorite room
5. Mountain Province Room - includes priceless Igorot and Ifugao tribal
artifacts
6. Iloilo Room
7. Pangasinan Room – Ferdinand Marcos’ room

LOBBY INTERIOR
Figure 10. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

5.2 Some of the famous decorations are made from coconut (for example,
there is a chandelier made of 101 coconut shells) as is some of the noted
furniture (for example, the large dining table in the state dining room
downstairs is made of 40,000 small pieces of inlaid coconut shell).
5.3 Other native Filipino materials used apart from the coconut are banana
fiber (known in Tagalog as jusi fiber) and pineapple fiber (Tagalog, pina
fiber) (these materials being used for the sheets and bedspreads in the
guestrooms), and Philippine hardwoods such as narra (a dark purple-
brown colored, termite-resistant wood that is widely used to build
staircases, tables).
5.4 On permanent display in the Palace are a number of modern artworks
such as a large mural by the Filipina realist and traditionalist artist Araceli
Limcaco Dans and bedposts designed by the Filipino artist and sculptor
Napoleon Abueva.

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 SECOND FLOOR INTERIOR
Figure 11. from http://www.manosa.com/~manosa

CONFERENCE ROOM

Figure 12. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

GUEST ROOM

Figure 13. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

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 LIVING ROOM
Figure 14. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

VI. COCONUT PALACE TROPICAL DESIGN

1. SWIMMING POOL

Figure 15. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

1a. Water Feature: Application of water feature in coconut palace helps

to provide a cooling comfort for the users and also the proper location of
landscapes which protect from direct sunlight and utilizes this features.

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 Figure 16. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

2. DOUBLE ROOF

Figure 17. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

2a. Stack Effect/ Chimney Effect is the movement of air into and out of
buildings, chimneys, flue gas stacks, or other containers, resulting from air
buoyancy. Buoyancy occurs due to a difference in indoor-to-outdoor air density
resulting from temperature and moisture differences. The result is either a positive
or negative buoyancy force. The greater the thermal difference and the height
of the structure, the greater the buoyancy force, and thus the stack effect. The
stack effect is also referred to as the "chimney effect", and it helps drive natural
ventilation, infiltration, and fires.

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 3. LATTICE WOODWORK

Figure 18. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

3a. Perforated Panels: The same feature as the architectural steel works
seen in the Bahay na Bato. Wherein the topmost part of the wall around 1/8 of
the wall height is left open. The open portion is ornamented with lattice works
either wood or steel.

4. VENTANILLAS

Figure 19. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

4. VENTANILLAS

Figure 20. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

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 4. VENTANILLAS

Figure 21. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

4a. Breeze: The gaps in the ventanillas allows a period of transitory

breeze to enter and circulate inside the room.

5. WINDOWS

Figure 22. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

5. WINDOWS

Figure 23. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

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 5a. Bahay Kubo Windows: Windows are designed tall and wide which
lets out the hot air as well as to let in the breezeThis also reduces the
consumption of electricity during the day.Windows are linspired by the traditional
bahy kubo wondow.

6. HIGH CEILING

Figure 24. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

6a. High Ceiling: The high ceiling allows hot air to go up and leaves the
cool air at the lower elevation.

7. ROOF INSULATION

Figure 25. from https://prezi.com/75bdtfbyosai/coconut-palace

7a. Thermal Insulation: Used to maintain acceptable temperatures in

building. It also reduces noise and vibration both coming from the outside and
inside the building.
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