CCP - Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino

The Tanghalang Pambansa is the flagship venue and principal office of the Center. Designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, its design was based and expanded on the unconstructed Philippine-American Friendship Center. The Tangahalan is a primary example of the architect’s signature style known as the floating volume, a trait that can be seen in structures indigenous to the Philippines such as the nipa hut. It houses three performing arts venues, one theater for film screenings, galleries, a museum and the center’s library and archives. Being a work of a National Artist, the brutalist structure is qualified to be an important cultural landmark as stipulated in Republic Act No. 10066.

Construction began in 1966, with Alfredo Juinio serving as structural engineer and Filipino firm DM Consunji as a builder. Originally called the Theater of Performing Arts, it was completed and inaugurated in 1969. Its first major renovation occurred in 2005 for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 112th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Manila. Included in the renovation was cleaning and replacement of the marble trim, installation of a new air-conditioning system and new carpeting.

Architecture

The façade of the National Theater is dominated by a two-storey travertine block suspended 12 meters high by deep concave cantilevers on three sides. The rest of the structure is clad in concrete, textured by crushing seashells originally found on the reclamation site. The building is built on a massive podium, and entry is through a vehicular ramp in front of the raised lobby and a pedestrian side entry on its northwest side. In front of the façade and below the ramp, there is an octagonal reflecting pool with fountains and underwater lights. On the main lobby, three large Capiz-shell chandeliers hang from the third floor ceiling, each symbolizing the three main geographical divisions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. At the orchestra entrance, a brass sculpture, The Seven Arts by Vicente Manansala, welcomes the audience into the main theater. From the pedestrian entrance, Arturo Luz's Black and White is displayed as spectators enter the little theater or ascend to the main lobby through a massive carpeted spiral staircase. Most of the interior is lit artificially, as there are few windows, most of which are located along the sides of the main lobby. Large areas on the upper floors are open to the ground floor lobby, emphasizing the large chandeliers and fluid interior spaces on the northeast side of the building. Galleries and other rooms surround these open areas, occupying the space created by the huge cantilevered block. Whenever possible, the walls surrounding these rooms are used as additional venues for displaying art works.

Much of the criticism of the building’s architecture is directed towards its vehicular ramp. Since there are usually no valet services or parking areas directly accessible from the lobby entrance, the ramp’s use is ideal only for audience members who are chauffeur-driven; at the expense of pedestrians, who may enter through the side entrance or a narrow (and potentially hazardous) pathway on the ramp. In defense of the design, Andy Locsin (a partner of his father's firm) explained that the decision of raising the whole structure on the podium (and consequently, the addition of the ramp) was in response to the high sea levels on the reclaimed land, and was not intended to promote an elitist view of art and culture.

Venues

The Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo or the Main Theater is the largest performance venue inside the Tanghalang Pambansa. It can accommodate up to 1,853 people in four levels: Orchestra, Boxes and two Balconies.

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, commonly known as the Little Theater is a conventional proscenium stage, designed for drama, chamber music, solo recitals, lectures, and film screenings. It seats 421 people in one orchestra section. From the main curtain line to the back wall, the stage measures 13.6 m (44 feet) with a proscenium width of 13.9 m (45 ft (14 m). 8 in.) and features the same Mahogany flooring as the larger Main Theater.

The Center has a lone black box theater named Tanghalang Huseng Batute, after the pseudonym of Filipino poet José Corazón de Jesús. Depending on the size of the stage or acting area, it can seat up to 240 people in two levels. The 100-seat Tanghalang Manuel Conde, a joint project of the CCP and Dream Broadcasting, is used as a venue for film screenings and lectures; and has the capability to receive and show films directly through satellite.

Exhibit Halls

The Tanghalang Pambansa has three exhibit halls and another three hallways that can be used for displaying artwork. The large exhibition space is the Bulwagang Juan Luna, which serves as the Main Gallery. Located at the third floor, it has a floor area of 440 sq. m. Two smaller galleries are named after Filipino painters Fernando Amorsolo and Carlos Francisco. The latter is usually used for large scale installations and is located at the lobby of the Little Theater. Hallways lining the Main Theater on the upper three storeys are also used for display and measuring 2.4m high by 30.2m wide each. These spaces are named after visual artists Victorio Edades, Guillermo Tolentino and Vicente Manansala.

Established in 1988 the Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino, also the CCP Museum, is an integrated humanities museum that studies, collects and preserves Filipino artistic traditions. It has two permanent exhibitions: one in Filipino tradition, art and aesthetics; and the other showcasing the Center's collection of traditional Asian musical instruments. The museum also presents special changing exhibitions, provides curatorial assistance, and organizes workshops on indigenous art forms.

Accommodations

Here is the list of hotels that can be found in the city of Pasay: 

• Atrium Hotel Metro Manila - Cor. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Pasay City
• The Heritage Hotel Manila - Roxas Boulevard corner EDSA, Pasay City
• Mabuhay Manor Pasay City - 2933 Ortigas Street Pasay City
• Copacabana Apartment Hotel - 264 EDSA Extension, Pasay City
• Microtel Mall of Asia Pasay - SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City 1308
• Marriott Hotel Manila - Newport City Complex, Pasay City
• Kabayan Hotel Pasay - 2878 Zamora Street corner EDSA Rotonda
• Networld Hotel Manila - Roxas Boulevard corner Sen. Gil Puyat Ave.
• Remington Hotel - Maxims Tower, Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay Airport Area
• Siayan Travellers Inn - Salem Complex Atayde Street cor. Domestic Road Pasay City, Pasay Airport Area

Getting around the city

LRT-1 (Light Rail Transit) is one of the fastest and cheapest mode of transportation to reach the city of Pasay from Manila.

From Monumento Station, the LRT plies to Rizal Avenue Ext. in Caloocan going to the City of Manila all the way up to Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Buses, jeepneys, taxis and tricycles are available within the city. These are the common modes of transportation used around the city as well as traversing to another cities in Metro Manila.