UP chapel restoration completed with repainted dome in time for Holy Week

The restoration of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice at the University of the Philippines in Diliman has been completed in time for Holy Week.

This developed following the repainting of the interior of its dome ceiling, which started in the middle of February  after getting approval of the paint color to be used from UP officials and the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice.

A press release by DMCI Homes, which undertook the restoration, said the of the UP Chapel was restored after a series of consultations with UP officials in an effort to bring back the 65-year old cultural treasure’s original state of beauty.

Before the end of 2020, the following repairs in the chapel: repair of masonry cracks, de-clogging of downspouts and drains, installation of new electrical fixtures and exterior repainting on the chapel’s iconic dome and roof as well as its walls, columns, eaves, under slabs, ceilings, and railings.

The murals depicting the Stations of the Cross, the marble altar, the floor mural, and the cross at the center of the chapel -- all handiworks of national artists -- were left untouched during the rehabilitation.

The UP Chapel was designed by national artist for architecture Leandro Locsin and built by Engineer David M. Consunji, acknowledged as the grandfather of construction in the Philippines and the founder of the DMCI Group.

The UP Chapel is considered an important architectural landmark as it is the first circular chapel in the country with the altar in its center for a more personal and engaging community worship experience.

It is also the first structure in the country to feature a remarkable thin-shell concrete dome, made possible through Consunji’s innovation in the mixing and delivery of concrete. --NB, GMA News