The Cultural Center of the Philippines, also known as the CCP, is known to many. It has become an inspiration to all especially the artists of this nation. They hold many events like Cinemalaya Film Fest, Broadway shows, ballet and exhibit. Since CCP represents the culture and art of the Philippines the structure had to also catch the attention of the public.
The CCP building stands out from the other buildings around it. When you see it from afar it seems like this massive structure is floating! But as you go closer you can see that this rectangular structure is sitting on top of a ‘what looks like a cake stand’. There are two ramps on both sides meeting in the middle, and a big water fountain in front of the CCP. The exterior stands out making it an icon amidst the hotels. What draws people’s eyes to it is the massive rectangular shape or a floating volume. It reminds me of a cake. But I wonder what Architect Locsin was thinking when he was drawing the CCP. The ‘cake stand’ or rather the base, where the rectangle shape is sitting on, looks like a wave. It maybe my imagination but they seem like giant waves supporting a heavy structure. Did architect Locsin design it that way because it was near the bay? Maybe or was his concept a cake? Or maybe his idea was to make an overhead plane, creating a volume of space between the object and the ground. Well whatever it may be it was successful.
The entrance of the CCP is not as grand as others rather it is very simple which makes it even better. There are two ticket booths in both side and two entrances. From the outside you can see the interiors already due to the glass doors and glass windows. As you enter, there is a frontal approach towards the main theater. It has a depressed base plane before entering, and a wooden door. Due to current events in the CCP I was not able to enter the theater. But if I remembered correctly the theater is not flat horizontal but it has a certain slope. In every seat the person should be able to see the stage without any obstruction not unless the person is very tall though. The interiors are very fine and have wooden acoustic panels. From the entrance towards the right side is the staircase. The staircase starts from the ground floor, it is a spiral staircase. Even though it is a spiral staircase they are not consistent in terms of their sizes. And thus when you are on the top floor and you look down you could see parts of the stairs. The other hallways are very straight forward, linear. From the entrance to the left side there is also another set of stairs, actually escalators. When you see it from the side you could see that the opening is a rectangle, it was subtractive while the escalators formed a triangle. The interior is also amazing to look at. They all come from a certain volume then subtractive formation occurred. Architect Locsin was strict around with the spaces, especially the forms. Almost everything is linear form, and the forms share a common visual trait. The orientation of the forms differs from the perspectives of the person. Every time a person moves around so does the perspective. Nothing is a like inside the building. The different texture and color inside the CCP also gives it a sense of high class to it. Though the red carpet staircase seems to fade it is still comfortable. As you walk inside the main entrance, the marble floor greets you, and three chandeliers hanging in the middle. There are wooden panels all over the building. Then the rustic golden ceiling shines as the light from the chandelier reflects back towards you. It makes you feel like there is something important there, and it says a lot about what CCP stands for, art. Since everything is geometrical or linear then they are all proportional. In every corner you could see that there are certain objects that repeat themselves. Like the marble floor, they follow a pattern, also the wooden walls and many more. Even the exterior is very proportional; it isn’t like Architect Frank Gehry, whose designs looks like the building exploded... in a very nice manner. There were two rooms that caught my attention. They were in the top floor, and they were open air, meaning no roof. These rooms are for smokers. It caught my attention because it isn’t something common in the Philippines because here in the Philippines if you want to smoke, step out. Not only is it unique and very thoughtful to the smokers but it also lets the sunlight inside the spaces thus using the sunlight to overcome dark places. I was able to enter some of the exhibits, the rooms were nice but could have been oriented in a different manner since everything outside is linear so should the rooms.
The Cultural Center expressed the visual inertia very well. Even though the structure seems to float you can see that it is stable and it is very geometrical. How the structure was positioned was well thought of especially since it attracts the public’s attention. The size is enough for the need of the people and has enough space to hold events. Though given the chance to create my own Cultural Center I would allot more space for venues, so that the function of the building is all year round. The more rooms and spaces it has the more people the CCP can accommodate. Even though I personally think CCP is most pleasant at night when all the lights are lit and a lot of people walking and hanging out. Though when it is night time it reminds me more of a 60’s scene due to the yellow light that illuminates the whole CCP. I believe that every Filipino should come and visit CCP, and be inspired of our rich culture and arts!
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