Casa Manila - Philippines

The Casa Manila Museum is one part of many colonial style houses in the Plaza San Luis Complex in Intramuros, Manila. It is a copy of a 1850’s San Nicolas House that was once located in Calle Jaboneros. At the first floor it is rented out to small businesses, like what they do during the old times. The second and third floor is a museum that exposes the Architecture and the Interior design that was lost when the old families abandoned their old domains in Old Manila.

It is shown that the prominent families flaunted their new-found wealth during the turn of the century with lots of hardwoods. Hardwoods are termite resistant and have a good natural polishing. The furnitures, the second floor walls, beams, column, trusses and other wooden decorations are all made of precious Philippine hardwoods that are so scarce right now. Also, there are so many lifesize saints that are made of ivory and enclosed in a Neogothic Altar, that is how Santo Domingo influenced Manila Architecture after the 1863 Earthquake.

Source: theurbanhistorian |Image credits: 1 2 3 4