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Region 6: Western Visayas ••• Iloilo Iloilo's Commercial District & Art Deco In the 1920s and 30s, two foreign art and architectural idiom were introduced in the Philippines, this were Art Noveau and Art Deco. The former appeared in Europe during the turn of the turn of the century and was in vogue up to the first decade of the 20th; the later, grew out of Art Noveu. Whereas Noveau was characterized by the sinuous, sensual line, Deco moved in the direction of angles, straight lines and clearly defined geometric shapes. These two art idioms were brought by Americans and just as Spanish-Mexican Baroque was quickly assimilated by architects and builders of a previous era, so too were Noveau and Deco. Architects generally employed these idioms in domestic and commercial buildings, there were a few exceptions where Deco motifs appear in government buildings, e.g. the provincial capitol of Oroquieta in Misamis Occidental, the municipal building of Sariaya, and the police station at Jaro. Like Baroque, architects did not adapt the style wholesale but was employed creatively to meet the needs of clients. What we often see are touches of Noveau and Deco with Deco predominating. Iloilo is good place to be acquainted with this style, as the commercial district has buildings with Deco touches. In Iloilo, too, are residences almost completely deco, from grille work to the rounded shapes of facades, resembling a ship's bow, which have earned them the popular sobriquet of "boat houses." Bounded by Iznart, J.M. Basa, Ledesma, Valera and Rizal Sts., in its heyday, Iloilo's commercial district was the busiest part of town. It became quite only at noon when it was customary for stores to close for siesta. The shops opened again around two in the afternoon. Many of the old commercial buildings were constructed between the 1920s and 1940s. The buildings were often two stories, the lower floor rented to shops and the upper floor a residence. Arcades covered the sidewalk for the comfort of customers. A number of these commercial building used Art Deco, and to some extent Art Noveau motifs. Stiff competition from malls built in the neighboring suburbs has slowed down commerce in this area, but new uses for these heritage buildings are being explored. One whose ground floor is occupied by Sarabia Optical is being redesigned to become a condominium, while retaining its Deco look.
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