From afar, the GSIS Building looks like a cruise ship plying calm waters. Designed by Jorge Ramos, its easily recognisable tiers levels were inspired by the rice terraces of mountains of the Cordilleras.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 519
Category: Architecture
Post 516
One can only imagine in this run-down building the bustling activities that once were running especially for a government insurance office.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 467
The Gonzales Hall of the University of the Philippines – Diliman houses the main library and the School of Library and Information Studies. It features pillars and high glass awning windows.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 441
The mighty and industrial beams and the expressive and nostalgic Art Deco railings make up this bridge. Pedestrians might dismiss them as commonplace and normal but these tell the historical narrative which accompanies the building of the bridge.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 431
High and low: this happens when the residential area meets a defined line that borders the business district. Call it juxtaposition or contrast; I call it a reflection of social inequality.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 425
Buildings, like this one, used to be grand structures of a business district in old-time Manila. Now they are dilapidated and neglected, almost condemned. The ground area is teeming with roadside vendors; above, hints of artistry remain as silent witnesses of the change of the times. The figure is probably Hermes (Mercury) holding a caduceus but curiously not on his left arm.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 390
The towers carrying the electric power transmission lines are geometric. These structures provide a touch of industrialism in the midst of rice fields and rustic landscapes where they are more conspicuous.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 335a
The iconic and historic Palma Hall in UP Diliman is home to the social sciences and liberal arts classes. The steps serve as a stage to various political protests as well as theatrical performances. This building is synonymous with the social ideologies and activism that the university is famous for.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 334a
Malcolm Hall is one of the most prestigious colleges in UP Diliman. It is home to many of the legal luminaries of the Philippines. It has almost a gilded sheen at night.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 269a
The supposedly cultural monolith that is the Manila Film Centre lay in waste and is almost neglected. It was hastily constructed in 1981 to serve as the venue for the First Manila International Film Festival. Soon it became a white elephant, a symbol of abandoned opulence.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 233a
By connecting lines, one can form figures. Everything starts from concepts and plans, which soon materialise into something real, something three dimensional, as this building.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Post 222a
The Miramar Hotel near the Manila Bay is one of the few extant buildings following the Art Deco fad. Fortunately it still works for its purpose. Many early 1900s architecture have been left into disuse and dilapidation.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Visual Tales 