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After 30 years of neglect, historic Manila Army and Navy Club to be restored to ‘former glory’
The facade of the Manila Army and Navy Club. Photos courtesy of Palafox Associates
(Updated 2:02 p.m., Sept. 10) The historic Manila Army and Navy Club along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City is being redeveloped into a five-star boutique hotel.
In a statement sent to GMA News Online, principal architect Felino Palafox Jr. of Palafox Associates said, "After 30 years of neglect (and) deterioration, Army and Navy Club will be restored to its former glory through good design architecture."
Palafox Associates is the architectural firm tapped by Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corp., the developer of the Army and Navy Club building. AMH Philippines, Inc. is the engineering firm that will work on the structural assessment of the landmark.
Palafox also mentioned that the firm will comply with the guidelines of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). He also emphasized that the firm is guided by "quadruple bottom line," valuing the people, the planet, economic growth, and heritage/arts and culture when making designs.
He also pointed out that the Army and Navy Club won't be the first time the firm will work on a historic landmark. The firm's previous works include the retrofitting and restoration of Manila Polo Club designed by Pablo Antonio, and the Novartis building designed by Leandro Locsin, who are both National Artists for Architecture.
Objections, concerns
Objections, concerns
Based on the damage assessment of the building, the Army and Navy Club is no longer safe and declared by structural engineers to be in imminent danger of collapsing, Palafox Associates' chief operations officer Michael de Castro shared to GMA News Online.
The building's ceilings are collapsing due to water moisture, the doors and windows are dilapidated and irreparable, and the flooring is sagging, among other problems.
De Castro also said, "Our intention is to restore the facade to its original design of William Parson. The beams, columns will be retrofitted accordingly, based on the detailed engineering studies and the slab will be reinforced concrete. The building will be redesigned to function as a five-star boutique hotel with all of its amenities."
Ivan Henares, president of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), said in a Facebook post, "We express concern on the ongoing work at the Army and Navy Club, a declared National Historical Landmark. We have raised these concerns with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the government agency responsible for the protection of the building, and are monitoring the developments.
Henares said that HCS was informed by the NHCP that it has "no objection on the dismantling of two ancillary buildings (not original components) of the Army and Navy Club, which are in an advanced state of deterioration."
NHCP also added that "the developer, Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corporation, will be presenting the final restoration and development plan of the Army and Navy Club done by Palafox and Associates as soon as AMH Engineering Consultant finalizes the Detailed Engineering Studies."
However, Henares noted, "Shouldn't the plans have been submitted and approved before any work on the building commenced?"
Edgardo Kasilag II, principal engineer of AMH Philippines and project team leader for the structural assessment and retrofit design of the Army and Navy Club building, clarified with GMA News Online that "Oceanville, in contracting the services of AMH, had made its intention clear that it does not intend to demolish the ANC building but rather to determine what structural engineering measures were necessary to retain it.
Kasilag explained that because of sheer age and natural deterioration, the historic landmark no longer comply with the current structural codes—and this is what Oceanville is trying to address as its developer.
"The NHCP gave permission for AMH Philippines, Inc. to undertake investigation of the structure and we are now in the process of finalizing the design plans to retrofit the main building," he added.
The NHCP declared the Army and Navy Club building to be a national historical landmark April 1991. It was completed in 1909 as a social club for the exclusive use of American military personnel. Before the World War II, the area where the building is located served as the heart of American business in the Philippines. — VC, GMA News
Damage assessment on the building.
