CALAWAGAN, Rutherford B.

October 6, 2015

2015-13016

Landscape Architecture I
Critical Analysis of Quezon Hall
The Quezon Hall is a structure inside the campus of the University of the Philippines

Diliman. The building was designed by the first Philippine National Artist for Architecture, Juan
Felipe Nakpil. The concepts he used to design Quezon Hall were derived from the work of Eliel
Saarinen (an architect at Michigan), the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield. Quezon Hall,
formerly called Administration Hall, was constructed as a part of an academic institute, its main
purpose being an administrative building, but only on 1955 was the central administration transferred
from the Palma Hall to the Quezon Hall. The Central UP Administration is located on the north wing
of the hall while the UP Diliman Administration is located on south wing of the hall. (Quezon Hall).
The administrative building is the front most building of the university, coming from
the University Avenue. In front of the hall is the Oblation, a trademark of the University, surrounding
it is a landscape which apparently centralizes the Oblation. Behind it lie the University Amphitheatre
and the lagoon. Inside the hall, the columns stand high; a terrace stand above the ground at about a
third of the height of the pillars, the center of the hall is unenclosed, giving a good view of the
Oblation and University Avenue on one side and the amphitheatre and forest at the other. The two
wings of the hall are where the offices can be found, the security does not allow non-employees
without special appointments to go inside. A glimpse from the entranceways of the wings suggests a
simple hall structure, extending to three or more floors. The guards described the inner structure of the
wings to be same as in the Engineering Building or Melchor Hall. The hall is considered to be an
Eclectic Architecture; this type of architecture involves applying the elements of different historical
styles and multiple theories in a single structure (University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon Hall).
A type of style found in the hall is a neoclassic style, involving the presence of the Doric columns,
emphasis of walls and presence of wings of the building (Neoclassical architecture). The individual
components of the structure are rather more isolated than interpenetrating (University of the
Philippines Quezon Hall: A Mixture of Different Architectural Styles), i.e., the center, the wings, the
Oblation and landscape. Another style implemented is the Hellenistic fashion, emphasized by the
Oblation and the columns. The bridge between the wings of the hall and the railings of the bridge
implores an Art Nouveau style, lines that are curving and winding. The balcony at the back of the hall
includes repeating geometric shapes; an Art Deco style (University of the Philippines Quezon
Hall..) .Another feature of the hall is the floor glass blocks at the basement, providing natural lighting
and a more unique floor style. Over-all, the structure is designed as such to provide a pleasant
welcome to the university and a good environment for the administration of UP.

The organization and harmony of the structure with its surroundings and itself is
differential but neat. The components of the landscape and the building are quite different from each
other and yet the presence of connection between these components cannot be denied. The positioning
of the parts gives a good perception of the hall from the front and back, although the views from the
sides are not as good, the presence of the surrounding landscape and natural environment makes up
for the loss. The mixture of the styles in one structure shows the competence of the designer, having a
neoclassical building as an administrative office suggests authority and persistence. It also shows the
blend of cultures inside the university, and the way that the components blend together, and yet
showing isolation and uniqueness suggests the unity in distinction inside the campus, also, the
positioning of the hall behind the oblation suggests a greater authority than that inside the hall, that is,
the liberal people inside the campus. The work is effective as a welcoming site, especially from the
University Avenue; it serves well as a background for the Oblation from afar and shows its own
distinction as one gets nearer to it. The location of the hall inside the campus is convenient for those
seeking an appointment with the administration of UP, since it is at front; within UP, however, the
location is not at a pure disadvantage since it is on the edge of University, making internal
appointments a hassle, but of course, transportation answers that problem. The surrounding
environment proves as good for working, it is peaceful and of a good view, along with good security.
The Quezon Hall is well-maintained, the surrounding environment along with the building itself is
neat and green. Up to this day, the structure stands tall and pleasant to the eyes. The security of the
hall is also commendable, the road is easily in reach and there is also a police outpost at the
University Avenue. The Quezon Hall may not be immediately appealing to a new viewer immediately,
especially if seen from a far-view, however, as one gets closer to the building, the components of the
hall and its surrounding landscape becomes more alluring. The structure should be most appealing to
architects and designers since the blend of the styles and parts composing a unique tone apply to their
field of knowledge. However, this does not mean that it will not appeal to those ignorant of that field,
since everything that is pleasant to the eye is always a good view.

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5 Oct. 2015. <https://arisguese.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/university-of-the-philippines-quezon-halla-mixture-of-different-architectural-styles/>.
"University of the Philippines Diliman." University of the Philippines Diliman - Wikipedia, the Free
Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_Diliman#Quezon_Hall
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