Yrral Jaime C.

Perez
AR-1131/HSTORY 432

Jan 14 2013
Ar. Mar Lourence Ticao

Ja
Art Deco-ing Since 1920s
Emerging from the worn skins of eclecticism and Art Noveau in the 1920s,
Art Deco made its name and imprinted itself to the world in the form of architecture
and other forms of arts. It has the same objective as its precedentto free art from
the past and its dominating criterion. It talked of innovated ornamentationsit
maintained a subtle inspiration from nature and become more reliant on geometric
abstraction and vivid colors. It stretched itself the world and spoke various
languages of artistes of both the East and West delivering a
variety of outputs. Like for instance, William Van Allen and
our own Juan Arellano; two of which exhibited variety of
flavors in their approach with Art Deco.
William van Allens infamous high-rise Art Deco work
was the Chrysler building which came to be due to car
manufacturer and owner Walter Chrysler requested for the
tallest building in all of New York City. It involved meticulous
laying out of white to grey bricks which defined the
horizontality of the windows, a stepping spires which used
sunburst motifs, and around it sat gargoyle-like ornaments which depicted different
car parts. The Chrysler building stands 319.5 meters from the ground and houses 77
floors mainly used as office spaces.
Source:
http://www.aviewonci
ties.com/nyc/chrysler
On the other hand, it was 1930 when Juan Arellano
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came back after
three-years to his retreat in the United
States where he was strongly influenced by
the sudden explosion of Art Deco in the
states. It was the same year when the
finished the Metropolitan Theatre. The
Metropolitan Theatre poses faade
fashioned with patterns of wild colors,
geometric patterns and motifs which
belonged to the Philippine fauna. At
Source:
http://arkitektura.ph/buildings/manilaproper intervals were statues of
women in drapes and a colorful, geometrically designed stained glass in the entry.
From the day it was inaugurated in 1931 and become the host for cultural and
artistic performances until it was devastated by the 2 nd World War.

Yrral Jaime C. Perez

AR-1131/HSTORY 432

Jan 14 2013
Ar. Mar Lourence Ticao

Ja
The two works of Allen and Arellano are both Art Deco treasures. However, there
were a few things that set them apart from each other, character-wise.
Purposive and Unique
Judging by the set up of Metropolitan Theatre, I would say that the building
was true to its purpose. The building posed a strong sense of individuality from the
rest of the buildings from the stretch of Manila back in the 1930s. The building
speaks for itself and talks of its purpose. The Metropolitan Theatre is composed of a
variety of artistic ornamentation and vivid colors which represent its identity
house of Filipino art and culture. Geometrics, curves, and colors contradicted the
prevalent straight and strict lines of neoclassical buildings of 20 th Century Manila. It
stands out.
Transitional and Adaptive
In comparison to Arellanos work, van Allens work in my opinion is receptive
to the prevalent character and precedent styles. It overlooks the city and exhibits
not only Art Deco but also provides continuity to the legacy of the Chicago School
skyscrapers. And as it is set in New York, a very busy, vertically lined cityscape, the
Chrysler Building complements its surroundings of high building, acting as a
coherent component of the metropolis.

References:
Manila Metropolitan Theatre (n.d.) ARKITEKTURA.PH. Accessed in January 13
2013. Retrieved from http://arkitektura.ph/buildings/manila-metropolitantheater#.UtQb-tIW3Z1
Sveiven, Megan. "AD Classics: Chrysler Building / William Van Alen" 22 Dec
2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 13 Jan 2014. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=98222>
Gontar, C. Art Noveau (n.d.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed on Jan 13
2014. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm
Ching, D.K. 2012. A Visual Dictionary of Architecture | Second Edition. John Wiley
& Sons, Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey.