Heritage Sunday: Manila Central Post Office

A few weeks ago, a friend and I decided to re-do some of our college rendering plates, the '10 Sites' plate to be exact. For our visual techniques class we were given 10 locations/ structures to render with any medium of our choosing. We decided to start with the Metropolitan Theater and upon my research for images to sketch, I found a non-government organization that hosts monthly tours within the building. You could imagine my excitement. I used to pass by the theater daily, admiring it, wishing I saw it during its heyday and not its current state. Always curious of how it looks inside. (The building is currently closed to the general public). This simple photo-search led me to one of the most interesting Sunday's of the year, so far.

The Royal Postal Heritage Tour is a monthly event the Filipinas Stamp Collector's Club hosts. It is a free tour for anyone who wants to get to know a lot about heritage. Trust me, this is probably the closest you can be to a getting to know these buildings if you're not in school or if you do not have an architecture-geek friend. :D 

My Heritage Sunday began with a tour of one of the most well known old buildings in Manila, The Manila Central Post Office.

Facade

Trivia

Massive-- 14 Ionic Columns flank the facade

Little Man

Gargoyles

Mr. Postman

Rear View

Grille work

         We don't do massive these days. Walking into buildings such as this makes one experience the grandness of it all, the history, the beauty. As of late, the Philippine Postal Corp. will be moving to a different location, leaving this piece of architecture empty. Any plans to reuse it as a hotel have been scrapped according to our tour guide,  though talks to turn it into a museum have been set. 

Heritage Sunday: Intramuros will be up next! Hope you would stay for that :)

-k