December 14, 2011

Hidden in plain sight

Uy-Chaco Building in Binondo, Manila
Because of the district's hustle and bustle, and the inadequacy of Philippine rules about building signs, it is easy to miss the pre-war architectural gems of Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. The Uy-Chaco Building, which houses the Binondo branch of Philtrust Bank, stands right behind the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch. I've featured the arch in the past, but it wasn't until several years later—and a relatively long wait for the people I was meeting with—that I noticed the building. Information about it on the web is contradictory; it was either built in 1914 and designed by Samuel C. Rowell or built in 1930 and designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro.

6 comments:

crocrodyl said...

I like the unique green roof!

Olivier said...

beau contrasme entre ces deux architectures

alex said...

fascinating. interesting to compare Chinatowns throughout the world.

Lowell said...

My goodness, there must be 3 or 4 architectural styles in this photo. I like the arch very much.

Unknown said...

i miss this place... ;-)

brattcat said...

love seeing the layers of architectural style here.