Beyond Brutalism: Reimagining Manila's Folk Arts Theater

Abstract

This thesis proposes an adaptive reuse design that transforms a Brutalist monument called the Folk Arts Theater, and its surrounding site, into an institutional campus that surrounds the growing community of Metro Manila. Specifically, it proposes a restoration of the theater’s facade, structure and use, then an implementation of additional spaces around the site which honour the architectural legacy of the original theater in its materiality, structure and functional program.

Brutalist buildings have become an integral part of every metropolitan city, and many of them are publicly hated upon. However, this public sentiment was not always negative. After World War II, many countries turned to modern architecture movements like Brutalism to not only repair destroyed cities, but also assert their national identities. The Philippines was among one of these countries as Filipino modern architects like Leandro Locsin, under the auspices of the Marcos regime during the 1970s-80s, would adopt the Brutalist style and change the urban fabric of Manila.

Scholars and architects alike question the fate of these buildings today as their stakeholders struggle to maintain them. This thesis builds on the existing international discourse on the conservation of Brutalist architecture with Manila as a focus. It hopes to answer the question of how adaptive reuse can encourage the preservation of Brutalist buildings while addressing contemporary functional needs, especially in countries like the Philippines where these buildings have become embedded in their postcolonial history. A manifesto of design principles of Brutalist architecture will be proposed and applied to a site in Manila. The site of focus is the Folk Arts Theater located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, an abandoned theater at risk for demolition.