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The Manila City Hall

Designed by architect Antonio Toledo and completed in the 1930s, the Manila City Hall features a prominent clock tower that is the largest in the Philippines. The building was damaged in World War 2 but later rebuilt. It has a trapezoid shape that resembles a coffin when viewed from above, though the designer intended it to resemble a Templar shield due to the Catholic influence in the country. The city hall hosts ceremonies in the Bulwagang Katipunan hall and the mayor's office is located on the second floor.

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597 views11 pages

The Manila City Hall

Designed by architect Antonio Toledo and completed in the 1930s, the Manila City Hall features a prominent clock tower that is the largest in the Philippines. The building was damaged in World War 2 but later rebuilt. It has a trapezoid shape that resembles a coffin when viewed from above, though the designer intended it to resemble a Templar shield due to the Catholic influence in the country. The city hall hosts ceremonies in the Bulwagang Katipunan hall and the mayor's office is located on the second floor.

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1210- Catalla, Czedrick V.
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE

MANILA
CITY HALL
Gusaling Panlungsod ng Maynila
THE DESIGNER
N

Name: Antonio Manalac Toledo


Born: June 14 1890
Architect Antonio Toledo was the
designer of the famous building
Manila City Hall. The city hall is
adorned by hexagonal three clocks on
three of its facets. It was then build in
1939.

INTRODUCTION
The city hall we see today was first
constructed in the late 1930s during the
Commonwealth period, a product of a
campaign by then Mayor Juan Posadas for
Manila to have a new city hall building. The
4-storey structure was built in the
Designed by architect Antonio Toledo
and completed during the 1930s, the
Manila Clock Tower stands almost
100 feet (30 meters) in elevation,
making it the largest clock tower in
the Philippines. Manila City Hall and
the Clock Tower were damaged
heavily during World War II and the
1945 Battle of Manila and rebuilt
over the decades. For years, the clock
tower served mainly as a storage
room with a reputation of being
haunted. Former employees used to
say that people shouldn’t stay inside
beyond 6:00 p.m. because spirits
inside the building make their
presence felt at night. When viewed
from above, Manila City Hall’s
trapezoid like shape resembles a
coffin with a cross on it.
The Bulwagang Katipunan, where the
city hall hosts formal events and
ceremonies. The hall is located on the
ground floor of the main building and
has a large mural depicting the
Katipunan revolutionaries who fought
against Spanish colonial rule.
The Mayor's Office where the
Mayor of Manila holds office and
meets with guests and officials. The
office is located on the second floor of
the main building and has a classic
style furniture and paintings.
Why Manila City Hall looks like a
coffin?
According to urban legends, it was made to
look like a coffin to pay homage to those
who died during the Battle of Manila.
However, the shape is not actually a casket
or coffin. Manila City Hall was intentionally
designed to resemble a shield of the Knights
Templar when viewed from an aerial
standpoint. This symbolizes the fact that the
country is under the strong influence of the
Roman Catholic Church.
This is a picture of a courtroom
inside the Manila City Hall,
where the city government of
Manila holds its trials and
hearings.

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