luneta hotel

If you are at the corners of T.M. Kalaw Avenue and Roxas Boulevard, and you see an old, abandoned (and now being renovated) building, that is the famous Luneta Hotel. I immediately recognized the hotel when I was on my way to the library. I became aware of its existence after browsing through a Heritage Watch forum. Now abandoned, one can wonder how it would have looked like in the 1920s. In the old picture of hotel below one can even see that it faced an unfenced bermuda plane of the Luneta, and its neighbors are no more than blocks of humble bahay na bato and bodegas.

Old Luneta Hotel

According to Wikipedia, Luneta Hotel was completed in 1918. A study done by Dean Joseph Farnandez of the University of Santo Thomas revealed that the hotel was designed by the Spanish architect-engineer Salvador Farre. The six-storey hotel is the only remaining example of the French Renaissance architecture with Filipino stylized beaux arts in the Philippines to date. The burnt out building survived the Second World War but never recuperated from its war wounds. The Luneta has been renovated in 1972 but the hotel has continuously deteriorated since then.

In a 1998 article "Restoration, not demolition, says Luneta Hotel’s new owner", Inquirer columnist and HCS founding member Bambi Harper described the “whimsical gargoyles in the form of lions, crocodiles, griffins and other mythical creatures that serve as decorative supports of (the hotel’s) balconies.” She also talked about the “delicate filigreed railings (on the balconies) that add a touch of lightness to the solid concrete facade.”

Also in a Heritage Conservation Society article Luneta Hotel and the Beautiful Era, it mentioned that the hotel has been known to serve rich breakfast and lunch, exotic among foreigners of the time. It’s just interesting to note that the gargoyles that adorn the building are meant to keep the water away from the walls so it would maintain a pristine appearance. It isn’t just burloloy, it actually has function. Its walls would turn into gold when the sun strikes it at high noon and onwards.

Wouldn't these be good reasons for the hotel to be restored? By the way the Luneta Hotel (like the Museo Pambata) was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute.)

SOURCES:
Texts: Wikipedia entry of Architecture of the Philippines - American Architecture
Article Luneta Hotel and the Beautiful Era
Philippine Daily Inquirer Article Restoration, not demolition, says Luneta Hotel’s new owner

Images: Old Luneta Hotel from Luneta Hotel: Through the test of time
Luneta Hotel Now from TrekEarth Gallery

Museo Pambata, Luneta Hotel and National Library all in one day!

I had plans to visit the Museo Pambata at 8 AM but ended up slumbering in my bed until 10 AM. The timing can never be perfect because I had been wanting to go the National Library to do some research on the history of Philippine postcards for my other blog. The last time I visited the library was in 2001 when I applied for a library card, which I wasn't able to get and use. Now I have more reasons to visit the library. But my research was cut short because of the commotion of the students in the room. They were rushing to get out because of the earthquake (which twice shaked the building!). Honestly I only felt the second one, and it didn't bother me at all that I still continued reading my books. But for everyone's safety the librarians decided that all should empty the building. With a disappointment in my face, I exited the room and decided to just visit the old Luneta Hotel, one of the few remaining structures that survived World War II. One can easily recognize the hotel if one is leaving the library. I was tempted to enter with hotel (which was undergoing renovation) but decided it's not a good idea (Am alone and an aftershock worried me and workers in the building.) It's the old, abandoned building at the corner of Kalaw and Roxas Boulevard which once was one of the most elegant hotels in Manila. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any photos.