Space Age ARCHITECTURE Vol.

1 Issue 1

ESCUADRO | GO, C. | GO, F. | IGOT | ITAO HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 4

Featuring Philippine Architecture influenced

by Space Age/ Googie Architecture
 TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
SPACE AGE ARCHITECTURE
AND ITS ORIGINS 3
4
HOW GOOGIE ARCHITECTURE OF
THE UNITED STATES INFLUENCED
PHILIPPINE SPACE AGE ARCHITECTURE

LEANDRO LOCSIN’S
CHAPEL OF HOLY SACRIFICE 5
CESAR CONCIO’S
CHURCH OF THE RISEN LORD 6
7
MARCOS DE GUZMAN’S
ARTEMIO REYES RESIDENCE

8
JUAN NAKPIL’S
RIZAL THEATRE

JOSE MARIA ZARAGOZA’S

UNION CHURCH 9
RICHARD TAN’S
DIVINE MERCY SHRINE CHAPEL 10

Space Age
ARCHITECTURE
 Space Age ARCHITECTURE
AND
ITS
ORIGINS

"Googie architecture made the future accessible to everyone.

It brought that spirit of the modern age to their daily lives."
-Alan Hess-

Space Age architecture, or more popularly known in the United

States as Googie architecture, traces it roots back to Los Angeles,
California. The 1950s saw the rise of mid-century space age
aesthetics, alluding to recent public interest of space exploration
and scientific innovations. As the economy of the United States
flourished, the architecture of this period also evolved to reflect the
people and culture of its time.

The term "Googie" originated in 1952 from the critique of Douglas

Haskell regarding the Googie coffee shop in West Hollywood
designed by Architect John Lautner. Lautner, taking inspiration from
the booming car culture of LA, used this exaggerated style of bold
and flashy designs to bring customers into businesses by capturing
the attention of car drivers and their passengers driving past
business establishments. The need to stand out resulted in what
was described as "Modern Architecture Uninhibited".
The Theme Building
at Los Angeles International Airport
Googie, at that time, was seen to be a realization of the future of
architecture. According to Douglas Haskell, "where Modern
architecture makes light of gravity, Googie ignored gravity all together".
The advancement in construction technology and engineering
techniques allowed architects to push their limits in terms of
creativity and design. This was evident in the upswept roofs,
cantilevered ceilings, curvaceous facades, iconic boomerangs, flying
saucers, parabolas, starbursts, sharp angles, and trapezoids that
were common architectural features of the time.

The era of the Cold War was important, not only in the shaping of
architecture, but also in the advancement of science and
technology. With the race to the moon by the United States and
Soviet Union, the fascination and interest towards space
exploration piqued. Buildings of the period featured space-inspired
designs as seen in the Space Needle in Seattle and the Theme in Los
Angeles, where circular disks resemble that of a spaceship or UFO.

The influence of Googie architecture eventually found its way into

pop culture with the American animated sitcom, "The Jetsons". The
The Space Needle, Seattle, USA
Jetsons family lived in the futuristic world of Orbit City with
advanced technology, flying cars, elaborate robotic contraptions,
holograms, and more. The architecture depicted in this TV show
was that of the Googie style because it embodied the people's
hopes and aspirations for the future; and what they envisioned it to
be like.

Googie-inspired Architecture from TV sitcom, The Jetsons Googie Coffee shop, Los Angeles, USA

References:
Novak, M., (2012). Googie: Architecture of the Space Age. Smithsonian Magazine
Novak, M., (2013). MId-21st Century Modern: That Jetsons Architecture. Smithsonian Magazine
Shaw, M. (2015). Googie: A Space Age Pop-Architecture Primer. Architizer
 HOW GOOGIE ARCHITECTURE OF THE UNITED STATES
INFLUENCED PHILIPPINE SPACE AGE ARCHITECTURE
Union 76, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Waikikian Hotel, Hawaii
Philippine Pavilion Osaka '70 Expo
References:
Barragan, B. (2017). Googie-style Union 76 Gas Station. LA Curbed.
Kelly, J. (2005). Tiki-style Hotels to Disappear from Waikiki
designKULTUR (2010). The Expo '70 Suite: Leandro Locsin
The Philippines had been under the colonial rule of the United
States for 48 years before being granted her independence in
1946. Despite our freedom and new-found independence,
American and Spanish influence was still prevalent in the
Filipino lifestyle, culture, entertainment, and architecture. This
mixture of Filipino, Asian, Spanish, and American influence
created a unique blend of architectural style where buildings
were more sculptural in form. Despite the multi-cultural
influence, Filipino architects sought to design buildings which
was suitable to our climate and context, history, and culture.
The architecture of the Space Age came during a time of
rebuilding in Manila where the city's rapid urbanization and
construction boom came as a result of the effects left by World
War II. This opportunity for growth allowed the nation to break
free from its colonial past, and move forward towards progress,
development, and change.
Googie architecture's influence on Philippine architecture is
seen from the ultra modern gas station of Union 76 in Beverley
Hills, California. The undeniably striking appearance of the gas
station's red canopy roof, bright fluorescent lights, and bold,
flamboyant, over-the-top design lends itself as an established
local landmark; and one of the few remaining structures that
are unapologetically Googie. The swooping, curved canopy can
be seen as an example of form follows function, where the
hyperbolic ceiling is used to attract more customers into the gas
station. This was successful since the gas station saw an
increase in sales by 65% when it first opened.
The Waikikian Hotel of Hawaii is a classic example of the
Tropical Space Age architecture that was popular during the
1950s, also known as Tiki-style. Its form is that of a hyperbolic
paraboloid, bringing in natural light into the lobby interiors. This
shows the different ways that an architectural style is able to
evolve in order to adapt to the context and climate that it is set
in. The Hotel uses the same sweeping canopy and eye-catching
form, but the materials used reflected the culture and heritage
of Hawaii. Where Googie architecture of Los Angeles featured
steel, glass, and plastics; Tropical Space Age architecture of
Hawaii used native wood, glass, and lava rock to recreate the a
similar look and feel.
The familiar upswept roof of Los Angeles' Union 76 and Hawaii's
Waikikian Hotel can be seen in the design of Filipino Architect
Leandro Locsin for the Philippine Pavilion exhibited during the
Osaka ‘70 Expo. The roof of the pavilion possesses
characteristics most indicative of the Googie Architecture with
its cantilevered swooping roof that points skyward, as if
preparing for take off. The architectural influence of the
Philippine pavilion goes beyond its form and function as it
creates a strong architectural statement as a symbol of the
young Philippine nation, a developing and progressing country.
Similar to the Waikikian Hotel, the pavilion uses materials native
to the Philippines such as narra planks for the ceiling, and capiz
for the skylight and chandelier.
 LEANDRO LOCSIN’S

CHAPEL OF
HOLY
SACRIFICE
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - DILIMAN

AD Classics Parish of the Holy Sacrifice / Leandro V. Locsin. (n.d.). ArchDaily. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/790290/ad-classics-parish-of-the-holy-sacrifice-leandro-v-locsin

The Parish (Church) of the Holy Sacrifice, called a "flying saucer" by others, CHAPEL'S DESIGN:
is a Modernist term that encapsulates the Philippines' complex colonial
history. Located on the university campus of UP Diliman in Quezon City, Circular in plan
the domed concrete church was designed by Filipino architect Leandro Altar placed at the center
Locsin, who collaborated with three other national artists on the interior No single, defined entry point, with
design. The Chapel of Holy Sacrifice was commissioned to Leandro Locsin several entrances distributed evenly
in 1954 by Father John Delaney, who was seeking an architect to design a around the perimeter of the chapel
chapel for the University of the Philippines campus at Diliman. Father The space was sheltered by a concrete
Delaney’s primary directive for the project was that the chapel should dome, supported by reinforced columns
reflect the spirit of the youths who would worship there. and a ring beam
The decentralized, open nature of the
The concrete shell dome was, at the time, a new development in Asia – a Parish of the Holy Sacrifice forced
form without precedent in regional architectural tradition. However, while Locsin to use vertical dimensions and
colonial churches in the Philippines were noted for massive, bottom- light to define independent spaces.
heavy walls to withstand frequent earthquakes, the Parish of the Holy The transition from the glaring tropical
Sacrifice’s shell is characterized by visible lightness; at its summit, the daylight of the Philippines to a shaded
dome is only ten centimeters thick. This suspended lightness hints not at concrete passage further emphasizes
Spanish or American influences, but at a traditional Filipino forebear: the the sense of movement toward a
bahay kubo (“cube house”). different, sacred, environment
 CESAR CONCIO’S

CHURCH OF
THE RISEN
LORD
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES -
DILIMAN
Source: Avecilla, M., & Salonga, G.(2014). Iskomunidad. Retrieved from http://www.iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/index.php/Church_of_the_Risen_Lord

Another architectural innovation is Cesar Concio's Church of the Risen Lord. It is

a stone's throw away from Leandro Locsin’s circular chapel, the Parish of the
Holy Sacrifice. The structure was proclaimed in the fifties as “an engineering
masterpiece with its double parabola.” The chapel was built in 1954 inside the
campus of the University of the Philippines - Diliman to house the group of
protestant students who started a religious movement, the Christian Youth
Movement (CYM), which aims to “make relevant Christian presence in the
university campus”. The church is comprised of a main chapel (Church of the
Risen Lord), a student center (Gumersindo Garcia Hall) and a child care center
(Christian Child Care Center).

CHURCH'S DESIGN:
The chapel was saddle-shaped – a hyperbolic paraboloid with flat ends.
The lower slopes of the vaulted wall were punctured by windows and vertical
louvers at both sides of the longitudinal elevation.
The glass-clad façade had an opening defined by a smaller arch that
supported a cantilevered porte-cochere.
This entrance directly led to the processional nave, terminating the vision at
the altar.
Just above the entrance, a choir loft could be ascended via a circular winding
stair.
It is one of the few churches that is modernly designed and lacks
iconographic religious references.
The Church has a basilica design and features a concrete shell roof, this time
curved like a piece of folded paper.
 MARCOS C. DE GUZMAN’S

ARTEMIO
REYES
RESIDENCE
ARANETA AVENUE, QUEZON CITY
Source: Docu Lico. (2021, February 21). Artemio Reyes Residence (1959) in Araneta Avenue, Quezon City. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/2358866071026564/posts/artemio-reyes-residence-1959-in-araneta-avenue-quezon-cityarchitect-marcos-c-de-/2890661384513694/

The familiar pateriform or saucer-shape motif was playfully

unraveled by Marcos de Guzman in the Residence of Artemio
Reyes (1959) located in Quezon City. Architect de Guzman excelled
in the theatrics of exaggerated modernity that virtually defied
gravitational pull. He designed several commercial, institutional,
and residential structures that express the playful spirit of the
Space Age. Today, the house is in a poor state of preservation. In
retrospect, it is a bold landmark of postwar optimism of the things
to come as the Philippines embraced modernity and a reminder of
humanity's mid-century aspiration to reach for the skies.

RESIDENCE'S DESIGN:
The domicile of Artemio Reyes was a Jetsons-like futuristic
house whose main feature was the 7.5 cm. thick concrete shell
thickening slightly towards the sides.
The shell roof was punctured with bubble skylights.
Waterproofing posed no problem as the saucer-form naturally
shed any water while the aerodynamic shape surpassed any
onslaught of cyclonic winds.
A band of windows running the entire midsection of the
saucer provided for light and ventilation.
Verticality was achieved with the addition of a crescent-cut
observatory tower, where a cantilevered disk protrudes and
serves as an observation deck.
At the summit of the tower shaft, a circular antenna was
attached that completes the fantasy of intergalactic
communication.
 JUAN NAKPIL’S

RIZAL
THEATRE
MAKATI

The Rizal Theatre was a structure that once made people in Makati from the 60’s enjoy entertainment and leisure through its
balcony, lodge, and orchestra section forming one ascending curve. It is also where people of those days watched the latest movies
which made Rizal Theatre one of the go-to places of young and old people alike. It was a part of the historical heritage that was
originally built for the Rizal Memorial Cultural Complex. Its original intended date of completion was on June 19, 1961, just in time
for Jose Rizal’s birth Centennial. The theatre was one of the favorite destinations of residents around the area for 3 decades until
the historical heritage site was unfortunately demolished around 1989 since standalone movie theatres were no longer
commercially viable. This gave way to a well known structure in this modern era, The 5-star Shangri-la hotel.

Rizal Theatre was one of the modern structures having its form and build showing its tall, vertical, glass panelled walls that is
present on its facade, upswept and cantilevered roof, use of bold geometric shapes, and a zigzag roof on its entrance. These traits
or characteristics made this building of Space Age or Googie architecture unique.

Left side view Rizal Theatre (right side view)

From site view Close-up view

References:
- Kasingsing, P. (2018). For whom the bell tolls: Ph heritage landmarks left in ruins - Filipiknow. (2020, February 29). 20 beautiful old Manila buildings that no longer
- Unknown. (2015, August 25). Lahat 1900s. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from exist. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://filipiknow.net/manila-buildings-and-
http://lahat1900s.blogspot.com/2015/08/rizal-theater-makati-1960s-rizal.html landmarks-that-no-longer-exist/
 JOSE MARIA ZARAGOZA’S

UNION
CHURCH
MAKATI

The Old Union Church designed by Jose Maria Zaragoza in 1975 is a

noteworthy example of Philippine Space Age architecture with its folded
plate concrete roof that radiates from center. Zaragoza uses
biomorphic designs through patterns derived from nature in his eye-
catching roof resembling the form of an anahaw fan. The cantilevered
roof, molded in pure concrete, was used to symbolize and represent
the Philippine history and culture. The shell-shaped church can be
likened to Oscar Niemeyer's Cathedral of Brasilia (1960) which uses
sixteen concrete columns with parabolic sections to form its expressive
shape.

The facade of the church uses steel and glass for its curved walls, while
the interior was described to "achieve an ambiance of light, space,
movement, and obstruction," through the use of "a lateral approach
providing a horizontal or panoramic appreciation of the nave of the
church". However, the church was demolished and later replaced with
the smaller current-day Union Chapel.

Old Union Church Exterior (1975)

Cathedral of Basilia by Oscar Niemeyer (1960)

Old Union Church Interior (1975) Old Union Church Interior (1975)
References:
Arquitecturaviva (2021) Metropolitan Cathedral, Basilica by Oscar Neimeyer
Tomas, R. (2015) Jose Zaragoza on Architecture for God, for Man
 RICHARD TAN'S

DIVINE MERCY
SHRINE CHAPEL
MISAMIS ORIENTAL

Cross Section of the Chapel

Another example of a structure in the Philippines that was inspired

by, or was influenced by the space age design is the chapel of Divine
Mercy Shrine located in El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental. The
Filipino architect of this structure is Richard Tan, UAP. The elevation
of the chapel was not that high in comparison to traditional chapels
or churches where the high ceilings and tall towers made them look
grand and allowed people to see its location better. The reason for
decrease in height was to give dominance to the 50-foot-tall statue
of the Merciful Jesus located beside the site. This was to show how
Divine Mercy Shrine Chapel
important the tall statue was in giving its character and theme, and
providing historical, cultural, and religious significance.

The shape and form of the structure could be noticeably seen as it

was inspired by the space age design. Its circular/elliptical shape
which has the same form of a "flying saucer" design is one of the
key features of Space Age architecture. Other features of the
chapel's space age design include the cantilevered roof, the use of
glass walls, and the use of bold geometric shapes.

Aerial view of the Divine Mercy Shrine Interior view of the chapel

References:
- Br. Lanyi, B., SVD. (2019). Divine Mercy Shrine. Lantawan, 77-81
- Luis. (2018, March 26). Celebrate the Holy week and Visit El Salvador's divine Mercy Shrine
PERSONAL
DISCUSSION
As a design that was made during the 50's, it is really a big step moving forward to
have this design concept as it was a very unique approach to designing a structure
that not only it is eye catching to different people, but also revolutionize building
design as a whole that designers were able to take this futuristic design concept and
integrate it to their own designs on those times.
- James Escuardo

Space Age architecture made a strong architectural statement that was timely for
the young and developing nation of the Philippines. Some may love it, some may
hate it, but the message stays the same. The architecture of the space age was seen
to be the architecture of the future. It was what the architects and designers
envisioned the world to be, adapted into the local climate and context. Although a
number of its most iconic buildings have been demolished, traces of its style can
still be seen in the buildings we construct today.
-Faith Ann G. Go

Space Architecture was definitely an advancement in architecture that embraced

new techniques and shapes. The way they embraced odd futuristic shapes such as
the curves and the UFO shapes in design definitely paved the way for more
contemporary and radical-looking designs in the Philippines. Though it was a style
that originated in the 50s-60s, it definitely was ahead of its time and taught Filipinos
how to escalate the facade without compromising the structure.
-Carson Go

The style at its time represented man's interest of man being able to go anywhere
and become anyone -- travelling worlds. Rising adjacently with the 1950s American
retro-futurism, this style expresses optimism and marks a sense of progress,
allowing the style to create the illusion of having the unknown future accessible and
reachable.
- Carlos Eli B. Igot

The 1950's Space Age is an embodiment of the creativity of humanity in using

technology in exploring the vast celestial unknown. The Space Age portrayed
futuristically overtones that were inspired by aerospace technology, referencing jet
aircraft, rockets, and satellites, with the occasional inference toward inner space in
the form of amoeboid-shaped signs and atom-like imagery. The architects during
the Space Age went further to the design of the structures as they were inspired to
design structures that would have striking visual appeal and portray an unusual
form.
- Jonas Adrian C. Itao