St. La Salle Hall

Infobox University campus
university = De La Salle University
color = #afddaf
name = St. La Salle Hall
picture = LS Location.png use = Classroom, office, chapel and convent space
style = Neoclassical
erected = 1920 - 1924
demolished =| location = Malate, Manila
campus = main
namesake = St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle
architect = Tomas Mapua
free_label = Restored
free = 1948
website = http://www.dlsu.edu.ph

The St. La Salle Hall (Building code: L; also known as LS Building) is a neoclassical building that was built from 1920 to 1924 as the new campus of De La Salle College (now De La Salle University) facing Taft Avenue in the district of Malate in Manila. It was built due to the lack of space of the original campus in Paco, Manila and need of the college of a larger campus to accommodate its increasing student population. A competition to design the building was won by Cornell University graduate and renowned architect, Tomas Mapua.

It was once used as the grade school and high school building back when the college was still offering those levels. It has a chapel occupying the second and third levels of the south wing of the building. Originally built as a three-storey structure, a fourth level was added in the 1990s for the Open House of the De La Salle Brothers. The building is occupied by the College of Business and Economics.

The structure was severely damaged during the Allied liberation of Manila in World War II in the Philippines. Numerous civilians took refuge in the building thinking that its thick concrete walls would protect them from anything but a direct hit. On February 12, 1945, sixteen Brothers and several other civilians were massacred by drunken Japanese troops inside the school chapel at the second floor. Restoration of the building after the war took two years and cost 246,883 pesos.

Historical background

ecuring the land

Due to the lack of space on the Nozaleda Campus in Paco, the Brothers made a decision to build a new school in Taft Avenue. Br. Acisclus Michael FSC secured a vacant space at the southernmost boundary of Manila which was then a large grassland. Before he left Singapore, he won an agreement with his superiors that a larger Manila campus was essential. A 45,500 peso loan from Singapore enabled him to meet the purchase price of 55,500 pesos for the 30,300 square meter property in Malate. Br. Michael informed the municipal board of Manila that the estimated cost of the college building and improvement of the site would cost around 200,000 pesos. The reason for the selection of the site was the close proximity of the school that the Benedictine Sisters have established, St. Scholastica's, located about convert|200|m|ft|0 from La Salle. The two schools, one for boys and one for girls, would allow parents to send their children to a single area. Another reason for the selection is the close location to the streetcar station of the Manila Electric Railroad And Light Company at Pennsylvania (now Leon Guinto) Street, allowing quick transport for the students.

Opposition

Certain American business interests opposed the plans to build a college building into the Malate-Singalong area. The groups had a financial stake on the properties that were supposed to be built under the municipal planning scheme for the area. Another problem arose regarding the site, concerning the Bronan Plan. According to the said plan, Taft Avenue would be further extended in line with identifying the roads leading from Manila to Pasay. If a building would be built on the site, it would block the planned extension of Taft Avenue. Br. Michael appealed directly to Governor General Francis B. Harrison and expressed that a college should be constructed in the area, but the Governor General failed to get the approval of the municipal board, which stayed definite with the Bronan Plan. A year after, when there were changes to the composition of the board, the building plan was pushed through. The new board was criticized for their decision. The October issue of the Manila Times featured the said protest:

:quotation|"Atty. J. T. Boomer criticized the municipal board for having granted a building permit for the erection in Malate of a new college building for La Salle. Boomer reiterated the argument that the proposed building would stand in the way and prevent the further extension of Taft Avenue. In a letter to the board, the American lawyers asked that the matter be reconsidered especially since the board has acted hastily in the matter. He denounced its failure to give property owners in the vicinity of San Andres and Vito Cruz an opportunity to be heard. Boomer called the resolution of the board unreasonable because it would interrupt and upset a street system already decided upon; illegal because it would deprive certain owners of their property benefits without due process of law; and unjust because it would involve gross discrimination in favor of one property owner at the expense of others".Br. Castillo FSC, op. cit., p. 22, citing "La Salle Plan is scored anew" from The Manila Times, October 18, 1965.]

Additional protests were filed by C. S. Salmon and Louis H. Jacob, which was defended by Dr. A. P. Fitzsimmons, one of the board members, for the extension of Taft Avenue. The article by Manila Times continued with:

:quotation|"Letter of protests have likewise been received by the municipal board from C. S. Salmon and Louis H. Jacob. Meanwhile, Dr. A. P Fitzsimmons, one of the board members, argued that the city could not afford at present the P250,000 required for the extension of Taft Avenue so that the construction of the proposed building [sic] for La Salle might as well be carried out."

A justification for the decision was made in case of new protests. The Manila Times carried another article about it:

:quotation|"Although the erection of the new building would cut off the extension of Taft Avenue and Agno Street, the City Engineer held that such an improvement would be of benefit to the community and therefore recommended to the municipal board the grant of the building permit applied for."

In order to get approval, the Brothers themselves took the initiative to donate a piece of the property on the other end of Taft Avenue. [Quirino 1986.]

Design and construction

Br. Michael announced an architectural competition for the finest design of the building for the price of 5,000 pesos. Ten of the leading architects of Manila submitted their entries and the best chosen was the design made by Tomas Mapua, a graduate of Cornell University and subsequent founder of the Mapua Institute of Technology in 1924. Br. Michael made a 260,000 peso contract with the Sta. Clara Construction Company of Humphrey O'Leary for the first phase of the construction.

On March 19, 1920, the cornerstone was laid by Manila Archbishop Michael O'Doherty and said that "the work which the Brothers have begun is bound to succeed because it is blessed by God"." On the same day, the Brothers sold the Paco property to wealthy shipping magnate, Vicente Madrigal, under the condition that the school would continue to operate for 18 months before completely moving to the Taft Avenue campus. Construction of the first phase of the building took half a year. Classes on the Taft campus formally started on October 3, 1921. On February 22, 1922, only the first floor and half of the second floor were finished while the rest of the building was still under planning due to exhaustion of funds. The building was finally completed on December 15, 1924. The school chapel was completed on November 17, 1939 and was dedicated to St. Joseph.

World War II

At the height of World War II, numerous civilians took refuge in the building, believing that the thick concrete walls would protect them from anything but a direct hit. The building was under shell fire for almost one week. The Japanese forces took possession of the building and transformed it into a headquarters where the soldiers slept in the classrooms. On February 12, 1945, sixteen Brothers and several other civilians were massacred by drunken Japanese troops inside the school chapel at the second floor. The Japanese also set the chapel on fire, burning the furniture and books stored there.

Damage and restoration

A large number of windows were heavily damaged. The ceilings and doors have been blackened by the smoke of the explosions and the fires that the Japanese soldiers started. The second and third floors of the building suffered less damage, although shrapnel pieces left many holes in the walls of the building. The main floor suffered heavily due to demolition bombs detonated on the floor rather on the foundation. Rows of classroom desks were scattered around the yard behind the building. Reconstruction of the building was made from September of 1946 to December 31, 1948 at the cost of 246,883 pesos. On December 16, 1946, written permission was received from Archbishop O' Doherty to have the reconciliation ceremony and the re-dedication of the Chapel to the Most Blessed Sacrament and was blessed on December 20, 1947.

Building layout

The St. La Salle Hall is a H-shaped, four-storey structure built in the neoclassical style using the Corinthian order. There are three entrance points to the university campus that can be found at the building, the South Gate entrance, one at the Marilen-Gaerlan Conservatory and one located near the Football Field.

The ground floor houses the offices of University Registrar, Accounting, and Graduate Admissions as well as the offices of the College of Business and Economics. The Animo Food House, one of the canteens of the university, can be found near the South Gate entrance.

The second floor of the St. La Salle Hall houses the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as the office of the De La Salle Alumni Association in the south wing. The rest of the floor is occupied by lecture rooms. The choir loft of the chapel can be accessed through the third floor, which is also occupied by lecture rooms. Located on the fourth floor is the Brothers' House, the living quarters of the De La Salle Brothers at De La Salle University. It is not part of the original structure and was built sometime after the restoration of the building. The House is usually off-limits but opened for visitors during the University Week.

Marilen-Gaerlan Conservatory

The Marilen-Gaerlan Conservatory (formerly the DLSU Conservatory) is a single-storey conservatory opened in 1998. It serves as a study center for students and a venue for occasional music performances. The North and South wings of the conservatory feature fully air-conditioned study areas that can accommodate around 200 people per wing. Special university functions are allowed in the Conservatory with clearance from the Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services. The conservatory is also built in the neoclassical style and features Corinthian columns in its central walkway. The structure is panelled with glass windows to provide a view of the greenery outside. Since its completion, the conservatory has completely blocked the view of the ground level of the St. La Salle Hall.

References

* Carlos Quirino. "La Salle: 1911–1986". Filipinas Foundation, Inc. 1986.
* Jose Victor Jimenez. "The De La Salle College, 1911-1941: An Insitutional History". 1992