NATIONAL ARTIST 2: JUAN NAKPIL

A. Juan Felipe de Jesus Nakpil. He is the country’s first

National Artist for architecture. He was a Filipino architect,
teacher and a community leader. He was born on May 26, 1899, the eldest child of
Philippine Revolution veterans Julio Nakpil and Gregoria de Jesus (who married the
former after the death of her first husband Andrés Bonifacio). Julio Nakpil was a
musician and composer who fought in the Philippine Revolution against Spain and had
been designated by Andres Bonifacio as secretary of the command in the north of
Manila. He later married Bonifacio’s widow, Gregoria, who was also a courageous
leader of the Katipunan.
While he also trained to play the piano, Juan’s inclination to the visual arts must have
been boosted when as a child in 1907, he won the silver medal in a Rizal Day drawing
competition. He further trained in freehand drawing with Fabian de la Rosa and
Fernando Amorsolo, then already distinguished artists, and would have been inspired
by his aunt Petrona Nakpil-Bautista, who excelled in painting. The Nakpil family was
also known for the Plateria Nakpil, where fine jewelry was designed and crafted. He
finished his high school at the Manila High School on 1917. He then took Civil
Engineering at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. While at UP Diliman, he took
freehand drawing, painting, and decorative arts under Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando
Amorsolo. He also took sculpture under Maestro Ocampo. Nakpil first worked at Andres
Luna de San Pedro's architectural firm (1928) and at Don Gonzalo Puyat & Sons,
opening his own architectural firm in 1930. When Juan Nakpil was on the second year
of his course in civil engineering at the University of the Philippines, he took the bold
decision to go the United States for his studies despite the disapproval of his family.
However, he was not content, and with his uncle’s encouragement, he decided to
pursue his true passion, travelling to France to study architecture at the Fontainebleau
School of Fine Arts. He returned to the United States with a Joseph Eveleth fellowship
to Harvard University where he got his master’s degree in architecture in 1926. During
this period, Nakpil was exposed to the best architecture internationally, closely
observing the French Beaux Art and the emerging styles of the period and also trained
under the noted architect Jean Jacques Haffner, holder of Gran Prix de Rome. He
tested his mettle as he entered several architectural contests open to Harvard
University students of architecture, the Boston Institute of Technology and the
Architects Club of Boston. He won one contest for the design of a bank for a city of
500,000 inhabitants.
B. He believed that there is indeed such a thing as “Philippine Architecture”—a style
that works with our local climate, seismological conditions, and natural environment.
Nakpil also developed a design principle based on the structure of our local houses and
indigenous materials. When he returned to Manila in the mid-1920s after spent time
studying and learning in the United States and France, absorbing the lessons of
international architecture. Nakpil applied his new-found knowledge to Filipino structures.
He worked on the restoration of the home of national hero Jose Rizal and, like Locsin,
took inspiration from traditional stilt houses, remaking them in cantilevered concrete on
a mammoth scale. His own holiday home was designed along these lines, combining
traditional nipa roofing (made out of natural materials) with a poured concrete base.
Nakpil worked on dozens of buildings across the nation, from the Manila Jockey Club
and the Quiapo Church, to the Mabini Shrine and government departments. Despite his
determination to make buildings specifically for Filipino citizens, some of his designs
were considered too radical by the public. Nakpil’s stainless steel pylon, superimposed
over a granite obelisk memorializing Jose Rizal was unpopular and was soon removed.
But Nakpil’s failures were few, and he remained one of the Philippines’ most popular
and revered architects until his death. He was named a National Artist for Architecture
in 1973.
His architectural projects:
 Arellano University Building
 Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene
 Magsaysay Building
 Philippine Trust Co. Building (now Plaza Lacson)
 Geronimo Delos Reyes Building
 Capitan Pepe Building
 Manila Jockey Club
 San Carlos Seminary
 Philippine Village Hotel (closed in 2000)
 University of the Philippines
 Rizal Shrine
 Gala-Rodriguez Ancestral House
 University of the Philippines Los Baños Old Humanities Building
 University of La Salle – Diliman
 Capitol Theatre
 Iglesia ni Cristo Riverside Locale (Now F. Manalo, San Juan)

C. In my opinion, this project is to remind us all that art is all around us. That art comes
in more than one form. Our country may not be the best, but we have art and culture,
and people who made it for us. People we should be proud of. Art and culture bring
communities together. It is an excellent source of wonder, delight, and wisdom, and
offer intellectual and emotional experiences, which promote either contemplation or
celebration. In connection with architecture, it is more than just the built environment, it's
also a part of our culture. It stands as a representation of how we see ourselves, as well
as how we see the world. Throughout history, architecture has stood as a
representation of society, reflecting the values, successes, and eventual downfall of
civilizations over time. From the monumental structures to the residences and buildings
that make up the fabric of a city, we can learn a lot about who the people were who
inhabited them long before our time. Reminiscing these arts of our region, our country,
we can now begin to fully understand where everything has originated. We can also use
these as an inspiration if ever we decided to pursue something in connection with this
topic.
Personally, I am not talented with the drawing-measurements kind of art. I am more of a
singing-expressing kind of person. We may be fond of various kinds of art but I do know
we do it for one thing, joy. Nothing makes a person happier than him being able to do
something he is passionate about and also be able to help the country while doing it. I
may not have a lot of experience to share but what I can say is that, every form of art is
beautiful.

I may not do drawing and paintings but I am mesmerized to it just by looking. I may not
be the one who knows all the technicalities on how to build a structure but I honor the
people who do it for us. I admire all those people; I will never be ashamed of them and
I’ll always patronize the magnificent art our country possesses. Always.

SOURCES
Cornejo, M.R., (2019). Bahay Nakpil-Bautista: Home of the Heroes of the 1896
Revolution. https://bahaynakpil.org/juanfnakpil/
Anonymous (2017). World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. Prabook.
https://prabook.com/web/juan.nakpil/1288904

Tejada, C., (2016). Arts and Culture. Architect Heroes: 4 Famous Buildings by Juan
Nakpil. https://www.realliving.com.ph/lifestyle/arts-culture/architect-heroes-4-famous-buildings-by-juan-nakpil-a40-20160811
Anonymous (2016). United Architects of The Philippines: The Integrated and Accredited
Professional Organization of Architects. National Artists.
https://united-architects.org/about/national-artists/

Anonymous (2018). Philippine Cultural Education: Sagisag Kultura.

https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/nakpil-juan/