'Juxtapose: Espasyo at Panahon' exhibit to showcase adaptive reuse

MANILA, Philippines – The graduating batch of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) will hold an exhibit featuring adaptive reuse as a solution to design problems.

“Juxtapose: Espasyo at Panahon” by PSID Advanced Class of 2018 will run from October 1-31 at the Rockwell Santolan Town Plaza in San Juan City.

The exhibit, which will feature works by the batch’s 64 students, aims “to showcase how design can breathe new life into historical spaces and go beyond a structure’s function, thereby challenging the audience to see these historical structures in a new light.”

The monthlong event is being held also in celebration of the school’s 51st founding anniversary. It will showcase a total of 17 booths categorized into three sub-themes: “Tahanan,” which focuses on old residential buildings; “Pangkalakal,” which highlights nostalgic streetscape of Escolta and Avenida; and “Pang-industriya,” which centers on old industrial sites and warehouses.

Among the works that will be featured is the “adaptive reuse” of the Philippine National Railway Station in San Fernando, Pampanga as a contemporary “Gentleman’s Barber Lounge,” which falls under “Pang-industriya.”

In adaptively reusing the San Fernando Train Station, the concept of mixing old-school and new-school is translated not just by the experience offered in the "Gentleman’s Barber Lounge," but also in its design.

Group members Dianne Gonzales, Justine Dacudao, Christina Locsin and Jane Oracion have labeled their work as “KM 102 Gentleman's Barber Lounge.” 

“In its original state, the interior architecture of the train station is composed of brick walls and arches in harmony with classic Filipino Capiz windows and Vigan tile flooring. We intend to completely transform the space with a modern and masculine aesthetic evoking understated luxury,” Locsin told Philstar.com in an email.

The exhibit, which is known to draw influencers in the field, the academe, and prospective clients including property owners and investors alike, is free of charge and will be open from 10 a.m.  to 8 p.m. daily.