CITY HALL Research

Architecture (Saint Mary's University Philippines)

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 INTRODUCTION

City halls are a type of governmental building that houses a system that manages
the city people’s need. It houses different departments that cater the different
requirements to ensure constant city progression. The major departments include the
engineering department, legal department, public affairs, accounting department and the
administrative department. Other minor departments like Water Department, Waste
management Department and police department can be included in the city hall but
mostly have their own separate building somewhere in the city.
As symbols of local government, city and town halls have distinctive architecture,
and the buildings may have great historical significance. Architecture plays a big role in
establishing these symbolisms. Mostly, city halls follow the rule of balance in which
greatly conveys lawfulness and stability. This architectural quality sets the building apart
from other structures as it establishes a formal identity of a place of formal interactions.
Most cities also use their halls as a social representation of who they are as a city and
their collective identity as one group.
Bayombong, a growing town of central Luzon in Nueva Vizcaya, is slated to
become a city. The offficials are applying to mark the municipality as a newly established
urban metro and this means many changes will come to the area soon. This also
necessitates that a new governmental building is needed to better accommodate their
growing demands, if ever the city status will take place. Numerous considerations are
needed to be reviewed in constructing a city hall. The convenience of the site to the
people, ample space for growing population, flexibility of the space, and the identity of
the aesthetics to be established to the new building.
The importance of a city hall surpasses the obvious reasons as a place for
officials. They are buildings that also serve as cultural icons that symbolize their cities.
The physical structure shows the resilience of residents for better developments. It is a
face of community gathering that will stand time and as the city grew, the importance of
their city hall remains.

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 SITE

The site is located in the Municipality of Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya,

Philippines. The thriving municipality is slated to become a city alongside with the LGU
Bayombong currently applying for this status. The need for a new building is required to
house the different departmental offices. The problems arise when the current municipal
hall is lacking facilities that could accommodate the town’s residents if ever it will
achieve a city rank. A call for solution, Bayombong needs a new design of a city hall for
a better housing for different departamental offices. The current location of their existing
town hall will be the site for the project.

Macro

Bayombong, officially the

Municipality of Bayombong is a 1st class
municipality and capital of the province
of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines.
According to the 2015 census, it has a
population of 61,512 people.
Bayombong is the seat of the
Provincial Capitol of Nueva Vizcaya.
The name Bayombong emanated from
the Gaddang word “Bayongyong” which
means confluence of two or more rivers.
It has been reported that a certain tribe arrived and tried to invade the place, which
caused the outbreak of the first tribal war in the area. The site was renamed
“Bayumbung” as a sign of the Gaddangs' first victory in fighting for their private
domains.

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Micro

The site is located on the current Bayombong municipal hall and will entail the
spaces housing the administrative building, the parking area, the bureau of fire protection,
the gym area that’s used for recreational purposes, and other minor structures in
proximity.

Site Analysis

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

The site is located on a relatively populated area of the town as most commercial
businesses are in proximity. The site is also placed in front of the town’s church and park
alongside the national road which is great for its easy access to public. The underside of
this is that the location is near on a heavily-trafficked roundabout which means the area
creates more car noises and pollution. Orientation-wise, there’s a better opportunity for

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zoning offices as the building mostly dodges the sunlight as it faces away the south with
its sides parallel to the monsoons.
SPACE REQUIREMENTS

City Halls require more spaces compared to a municipal hall. With business
sectors rising, the need for additional departamental offices is necessary to cater the
growing city system.
Also, there will be additional considerations that will complement the growing
competence of a newly- established city in the country.

1. City hall design should adjust to the new normal.

2. A public art in front of the building is needed that should complement
Bayombong’s distinctiveness.
3. Helipads on roof decks must be installed for private, emergency and essential
errands.
4. Segmental office partitions shall be used in designing layouts for departments for
clear workflow and in respond to the new normal.
5. Must conform to the Philippine building standards.

The following are the spaces needed in a City hall:

Engineering department
This department is primarily responsible in the administration and implementation
of infrastructure development and public works project of the Local Government Unit.

• Drafting room
• Head Engineer’s office
• Engineering staffs’ office
• Storage

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 • Meeting office
• Waiting area

Legal Department
This office strategizes, plans, drafts and study ordinances that are made to be
imposed for the city. They also give proper legal assistance and services to residents and
gives legal advice to the administration about employees under misconduct to their
governmental duties.

• Archives
• Law Staffs’ office
• Head Lawyer/ Judge’s office
• Courtroom
• Waiting area

Accounting Department
The accounting department handles the finance and economic matters of the city
by ensuring the proper collection of tax and other monetary concerns. They work on a
systematized management of all the resources being used by the administration sent into
the city improvement.

• Treasury
• Vaults
• Budget
• Records
• Registrar
• Clerical
• Accounting
• Waiting Area

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Public Affairs
The offices included here are the ones who manages public concerns depending
on particular services provided. They directly interact with the residents either to give,
assign or receive services.

• Senior Citizens’s Affairs Office (OSCA)

• Bureau of Internal Revenue
• Social Welfare and Developmental Office (SWDO)
• Negosyo center
• Public Employment Services Office (PESO)
• Agricultural Office
• Environmental Office
• Health office
• MDDRMO/ Disaster risk reduction office

Administrative Department
The administrative department will act as the point of contact for all employees
and residents, providing administrative support and managing their queries. Main
functions include having legislative power, executive power, and administrative
responsibilities overseeing the city’s condition.

• Mayor’s office
• Mayor’s staffs’ office
• Secretariat office
• Lounge
• Meeting Room

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 • Sangguniang Bayan

Ammenities
This includes the necessary facilities in better accommodating a certain
population for their comfort, safety and happiness.

• Comfort rooms
• Storage
• Public Hall
• First aid room/ Clinic
• Canteen
• Meeting rooms
• Pantry
• Great Assembly/ Conference hall
• Waiting areas

Utilities
These facilities are organized to give functional services to the building.

• Mechanical office
• Electrical office
• Sanitary office
• Security office
• Ventilation
• Janitor’s closet
• Gym
• Parking area

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Circulation
Pathways for the foot traffic of the building.
• Lobby
• Stairs
• Elevators
• Ramps
• Corridors

Other optional facilities can be placed in a city hall but are commonly kept
separated because of varying functions which other institutions already provide.
• Water department
A water district is a local corporate entity that operates and maintains a
water supply system in one or more provincial cities or municipalities.
• Regional Health Office
Public Health Unit is an official health agency established by a group of
urban and rural municipalities to provide a more efficient community health
program, carried out by full-time, specially qualified staff.
• Police Department
Responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law,
and preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities.
• Electrical Billing
Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's
account; preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond;
initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection; keeping records of
collection and status of accounts.

The design spaces could also consider, a lifestyle mall with cafes, mini park and a
courtyard for well- being purposes.

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LAYOUTING
Departmental layout will depend on the activities carried on by the department
and the tools or special equipment used. For example, a finance department layout may
require an open area for accounting clerks and collectors with one or two private offices,
a machine room, and a vault. The public affairs department, on the other hand, may
require private offices for the director, the engineer, and individual inspectors, a drafting
room, a vault, a plan or map room, and conference rooms. The first step in departments
layout is to survey the work done by the department. Work flow should be especially
studied. A complete
list should be made of all employees and equipment to occupy the space. The possibility
of future expansion should be anticipated and provision made for additional personnel.
Provision also should be-made for peak rather then average work loads. Flow of work
should, as nearly as practicable, be in a straight line. Normally, work should come to the
employees rather than their going to the work. Minor activities can be grouped around
areas of major activity. The flow chart below demonstrates how certain spaces should be
in proximity with each other for efficient process.

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 Figure. Simplified instructional flow for processing business permits.

Generalized Matrix Diagram

Simple Bubble Diagram

The matrix diagram shows a generalized connection of the different

departamental spaces. Mostly, departments in relation with each other should have close
proximity. For example, public affairs should be near accounting department incase of

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any financial concerns that needs to be addressed. The bubble diagram shows the same
connections but displays the sizes of each departments, public affairs being the biggest.
ARCHITECTURAL OBSERVATION ON CITY HALLS

According to sources, a city hall usually houses the city or town council, its
associated departments, and their employees. It also usually functions as the base of the
mayor of a city, town, borough, county or shire.
As a place where all administrative processes are actively happening, city halls
are images of order and law. A democratic building where departments are harmoniously
working together to meet the demands of residents and improving city conditions.
Architecturally, images of this halls introduce the same rule of order and law. Most city
halls are based on a balance principle of design with same proportions and even
distribution of weight from the two sides of the building. Historically, the Greeks
invented the democratic system in which is widely used by most countries nowadays. In
relation, city hall design follows their noticeable architectural element of roman and
greek influence. The elements include, the use of columns, use of mouldings and
pilasters, and proportional distribution of windows from either side of the building.
Architecturally, the image of city halls condenses to a single image of formality but is
effectively serving its purpose to both the viewers and users. This design of city halls is
seen as reserved, appropriate and unspokenly deemed as the traditional look for city halls.

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 Sample 1. Bacolod City Hall, Philippines

Sample 2. District of Columbia City hall, USA

Some cities have built their halls exploring other non- traditional designs using
modernist, minimalist, brutalist and other architectural styles as the concepts appropriate
for their city. These styles arose in to match the silhouette of the city or to stay true to the
identity of the location. Just like the city hall in Tagum City. The modern aesthetic stirred
away any conventional elements. The Tagum hall effectively encapsulates their identity
as the city known for hosting various international and national affairs.

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 Sample 1. Tagum City Hall, Philippines

Another example is the London city hall that uses a modern approach with less
ornamentations that shows imbalance but still expresses grandeur and authority as the
building somehow both blend and stand out in the area.

Sample 2. London City Hall

City halls are the face of the democratic power that residents hold. They are a
place in which continuous processes occur for city developments. City halls must not be
constraint to a single identity of formality but should evoke the collective desire to
improve living conditions. A way to achieve that is to shape the physical building the
way

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that it shows both the integrity and identity of the city and with that, architecture can
help.

IDEAS FOR CITY HALL PROJECT

The city hall is basically an office building, not a shrine or an ornament that most
cities require a large budget for. The building should be so designed as to be cost-
effective both in construction and preservation. This is achieved by a sensible balance
between original cost and maintenance cost. A building with cheap materials and
equipment for the sake of low first cost may be quite expensive in maintenance and
replacement. Even though the city hall should be basically functional and not a
monument, originality in design is not prohibited. A city hall must be both structurally
and architecturally sound. Accepting both factors will achieve an image of a city hall that
is economically and aesthetically pleasing to the users and spectators.
As city halls go, I would try to create a non- traditional approach to its design.
Away from the usual look to this type of governmental building. The following are
approaches in architecture that I consider applying to my design.

BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE
Brutalism, also known as Brutalist architecture, is a style that emerged in the
1950s and grew out of the early-20th century modernist movement. Brutalist buildings
are characterised by their massive, monolithic and 'blocky' appearance with a rigid
geometric style and large-scale use of poured concrete.
PROs
- Gives off a strong architectural identity of truth and honesty as portrayed by the
exposed raw concrete.
- Function over aesthetics.
- Low- cost but with high structural integrity.
CONs

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- Aesthetically deteriotes overtime if not maintained properly.
- Hard to blend with nearby buildings due to limited space.
- Intimidating to other viewers.

GREEN ARCHITECTURE
Green architecture, or green design, is an approach to building that minimizes the
harmful effects of construction projects on human health and the environment. The
"green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-
friendly building materials and construction practices.

PROs
- Sustainable with the use of own energy source.
- Aesthetically calm to perceive because of vegetation.
- Salutogenic. Supports human health and well- being.
CONs
- Expensive initial- building cost.
- Additional staffs for maintenance.

INDUSTRIAL ARCHITECTURE
Industrial architecture is a field that has also evolved to combine functionality and
design and reveal impressive construction worthy of admiration and recognition.
Materials used are mostly glass and steel or other kinds of metal. Buildings from around
the world are focusing not only on its primary goal of housing a production line but it
also garnered attention because of their design.

PROs
- Cost- effective during construction.
- Easy maintenance for utility problems.
- Seamless connection of spaces.

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CONs
- Limited privacy
- Security issues
CASE STUDY LOCAL

Manila City Hall, Philippines

The Manila City Hall during 1901 was made up of Oregon-pine which covered
one third of the area used by the current building. After 31 years of occupancy, City
Engineer Santiago Artiaga suggested to reinforce the floor of the weakened structure
supporting the session hall used by the municipal board and avoid the accommodation of
too many people along the corridors and in the hallway. Eventually the old city hall was
demolished.
In the 1930s, a new 8,422-square-meter City Hall was constructed, which
included around 200 rooms and uniform windows on all sides. This was designed by
Antonio Toledo, the same architect who built the Finance and Old Legislative Buildings
which were both adjacent to the new City Hall. Finished in 1941 right before World War
II, it was another of the structural casualties of the War, heavily damaged (but still intact)
by bombardment during the Battle and subsequent Liberation of Manila in February
1945. With the aid of the United States Army, Philippine Commonwealth Army and the
city government, City Hall was reconstructed, though did not follow the original plans.

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Among the deviations were an added fifth-floor attic from the south entrance until the
location of the east-west side entrances to accommodate additional offices, and additional
windows in some areas which were formerly shelling damages.

The building sits on a trapezoidal shape of the lot in between the Legislative
and Post Office buildings. Due to the monotony of the building envelope, one cannot
distinguish the principal facade from the main entrance properly. The south entrance has
a balcony emphasized by three arches resting on Corinthian columns while the north rear
has the same design treatment with the east and west sides, but has pediments all
throughout and a tall, hexagonal clock tower capped by a dome.

Manila City Hall Proposal

In 2015, WTA Architecture + Design Studio envisions the Manila Arts and
Cultural District centered around the Manila Metropolitan Theater, which was preparing
to undertake its restoration works at that time. The proposed civic center calls for a New
Manila City Hall, repurposing of the Park and Ride Building, a Central Park, an
extension of the Manila City Library and the construction of a New Parking Building.
Parts of the Old City Hall will be converted into a lifestyle mall with cafes and

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restaurants at the inner courtyard, while public transaction services will be moved to the
ground floor.

CASE STUDY FOREIGN

Boston City Hall, USA

Boston City Hall is the seat of city government of Boston, Massachusetts. It

includes the offices of the mayor of Boston and the Boston City Council. The current hall
was built in 1968 to assume the functions of the Old City Hall.
It is a controversial and prominent example of Brutalist architecture, part of
the modernist movement. It was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles
(architects) with Campbell, Aldrich & Nulty (architects) and LeMessurier Consultants
(engineers). Together with the surrounding plaza, City Hall is part of the Government
Center complex. This project constituted a major urban redesign effort in the 1960s, as
Boston demolished an area of substandard housing and businesses.
The building has been subject to nearly universal public condemnation, and is
often called one of the world's ugliest buildings. Calls for the structure to be demolished
have been regularly made even before construction was finished. Architects and critics
considered it to be excellent work, with one poll finding that professional architects

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describe Boston City Hall as one of the ten proudest achievements of American
architecture.

At a time when monumentality was typically considered an appropriate

attribute for governmental architecture, the architects sought to create a bold statement of
modern civic democracy, placed within the historic city of Boston. While the architects
looked to precedents by Le Corbusier, especially the monastery of Sainte Marie de La
Tourette, with its cantilevered upper floors, exposed concrete structure, and a similar
interpretation of public and private spaces, they also drew from the example of Medieval
and Renaissance Italian town halls and public spaces, as well as from the bold granite
structures of 19th-century Boston (including Alexander Parris' Quincy Market
immediately to the east).

Boston City Hall Interior

The public response to Boston City Hall continues to be sharply divided.

Arguments for and against continued use of the structure provoke strong counter-

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arguments from politicians, local press, design professionals, and the general public. City
Hall was given two stars by the Michelin Green Guide, which said that the building "has
been one of Boston's controversial architectural statements since its completion in 1968."
The building's 50th anniversary in 2019 prompted both positive and negative
commentary.

REFERENCES

A Guide To Industrial Architecture. (n.d.). Jonite®. https://www.jonite.com/a-guide-

to- industrial-architecture/

Brandon, M. (2020, May 28). Pros and Cons of The Green Building.

Earthava. https://www.earthava.com/pros-and-cons-of-green-buildings/

Brutalism: Loved and Loathed in Equal Measure. (n.d.). Houzz.

https://www.houzz.in/magazine/brutalism-loved-and-loathed-in-equal-measure-

stsetivw-vs%7E91529490

Chiara, D. (1990). Time Saver Standards Building Types. McGraw-Hill Education -

Europe.

"Historical Landmarks: Manila City Hall". Manila..gov.ph. Archived from the original on

November 16, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2014.

Neyfakh, Leon (12 February 2012). "How Boston City Hall was born". Boston Globe.

Retrieved 6 January 2020.

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Pearson, M. (2020a, June 2). Why a city hall matters: “It’s all the things that make up

life.” Ottawa Citizen. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/why-a-city-

hall- matters-its-all-the-things-that-make-up-life

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