| Natividad Building | |
|---|---|
The facade of Natividad Building along Escolta Street | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts architecture |
| Address | Escolta Street |
| Town or city | Binondo, Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°35′53″N120°58′43″E / 14.598171°N 120.978638°E Coordinates: 14°35′53″N120°58′43″E / 14.598171°N 120.978638°E |
| Groundbreaking | 1928 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Fernando de la Cantera Blondeau |
Natividad Building is a historic building along Escolta corner Tomas Pinpin, Binondo, Manila, Philippines. Designed by Philippine-born Spanish architect Fernando de la Cantera Blondeau, it is an outstanding example of beaux-arts architecture. It once housed the Philippine Insurance Commission. [1] During World War II, the building was spared from destruction albeit suffered some damages. [2]
Binondo is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown and is the world's oldest Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement near Intramuros but across the Pasig River for Catholic Chinese, it was positioned so that colonial rulers could keep a close eye on their migrant subjects. It was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spanish colonial period. Binondo is the center of commerce and trade of Manila, where all types of business run by Filipino-Chinese thrive.
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world. It was the first chartered city by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act 183 on July 31, 1901 and gained autonomy with the passage of Republic Act No. 409 or the "Revised Charter of the City of Manila" on June 18, 1949. Manila, alongside Mexico and Madrid are considered the world's original set of Global Cities due to Manila's commercial networks being the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean, thus connecting Spanish Asia with the Spanish Americas, marking the first time in world history when an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circled the planet. Manila has been damaged by and rebuilt from wars more times than the famed city of Troy and it is also the second most natural disaster afflicted capital city in the world next to Tokyo yet it is simultaneously among the most populous and most wealthy cities in Southeast Asia.
Beaux-Artsarchitecture was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Gothic and Renaissance elements, and used modern materials, such as iron and glass. It was an important style in France until the end of the 19th century. It also had a strong influence on architecture in the United States, because of the many prominent American architects who studied at the Beaux-Arts, including Henry Hobson Richardson, John Galen Howard, Daniel Burnham, and Louis Sullivan.
