Tracing Manila back to the '30s

MANILA, Philippines - To step inside one of Manila’s heritage buildings is to trace one’s footsteps back into the history of the city. One not only rediscovers the architectural charm of structures that have stood the test of time — one also embraces the very culture that inspired it.

At the heart of Malate, a district pulsating with joie de vivre that has defined generations of Manileños, there stands a testament to the elegant lifestyle of 1930s Manila — The Angela Apartment..

Amid the contemporary vibe associated with today’s urban living, The Angela sets itself apart from other “modern” structures by retaining the sophistication of a bygone era when Manila was stylized as both modest and modern.

Its sleek, streamlined design — characterized by the play of horizontal lines of concrete in its facade, the smooth curves and nautical accents of porthole windows running down the length of its edifice, all reminiscent of ocean liners — captures the Art Deco mode that swept the city significantly during the country’s shift from being an American colony to being the Philippine Commonwealth.

Its rooms give the city-dweller ample space, and the chance to enjoy the sunlight and breeze of a tropical climate, with views of historic Manila Bay and everyday scenes of Malate.

The Angela has kept its foundations strong, both as a physical structure and a cultural symbol, elevating itself to its present-day landmark status.

The seven-story architectural gem has endured not only the ravages of time, but also the changing landscapes of the metro and the changing “ideoscapes” of its inhabitants.

A Sense of Place

Urban living today centers on the immediate and the fleeting, with the proliferation of condominium buildings that manufacture a lifestyle lost in the amalgam of trend after trend.

But a heritage building like The Angela anchors the city dweller’s identity on culture and community where one is nestled.

One’s sense of place is what draws the culturati to look after the country’s historic landmarks — structures that have, for a time, been neglected by the city and its dwellers.

Heritage buildings are indeed the very milestones that keep track of how far a nation has gone in terms of its culture and its collective identity.

And of how well a community navigates its way from what it was once to what it has become now.

Heritage preservation has become the frontier of Filipino cultural activists and groups such as the National Historical Institute and the Heritage Conservation Society in saving what is left of the country’s cultural symbols.

Standing Proud

During the heyday of Art Deco in Manila, notable structures stood proud along the most fashionable thoroughfares of the city — proof of how in the Commonwealth years, Filipinos already had a flair for the savvy.

While the rest of the world in the 1930s marveled at structures like the Empire State Building in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Manila, too, jibed with these cultural epicenters and unraveled its own tribute to art deco.

The Manila Metropolitan Theater on Padre Burgos, the Capitol Theater on Escolta, and the Jai Alai building on Taft, sparkled in this era.

The vivacious spirit of pre-war Manila was abruptly silenced when World War II broke out. And as bombs fell over Manila, many of the city’s proudest buildings fell with them.

Keeping the Peace

The picture of peacetime in Manila can only live on in the structures that stood witness to this period’s elegance.

Art Deco, popularized in the fields of architecture, interior design and industrial design, has become a symbol not only of pop culture, but also of a time when Manila pulsated with the rhythm of cosmopolitanism.

The demolition of Art Deco marvels like the Jai Alai building and the deterioration of the Capitol Theater have recklessly wiped from our collective memory these vibrant years of peacetime in Manila.

But the few remaining heritage buildings, like The Angela, carry with them this chapter of history of the city.

As a lasting symbol of Manila’s romance with Art Deco, The Angela now opens its doors to the city-dweller who longs for more than the usual fare of urban living — the city-dweller who wants a reconnection with the city.

It has become an apartment building that stands proud of its heritage, of having survived a World War, and of waging a battle against the city’s cultural amnesia.