City
Manila: reused stone and climate-aware courtyards
At Casa Manila, Chinese granite that once travelled as ballast now paves the entrance passage and patio. Capiz-shell window panes sit beside wooden louvers and ventanillas for ventilation; a glass dome covers the Natural History Museum’s central court.
At a glance
A place worth remembering
A courtyard with a maritime past
Visitors enter Casa Manila through the zaguan and reach its patio across Chinese granite paving. The Intramuros Administration notes that the stone had earlier travelled as ballast on Chinese trading vessels. It also describes the enclosed court as a way to cool rooms that face it.[1]
Shell panes and movable air controls
Casa Manila’s window assembly uses capiz shells as panes. The house guide distinguishes wooden persianas, which temper direct sunlight while allowing air to move, from lower ventanillas that provide additional ventilation.[1]
A glass-covered court at the Natural History Museum
A metal-framed glass dome over the central courtyard is known as the Tree of Life. The museum describes the Tree of Life structure at its centre as connecting the Philippines’ ecosystems, from mountain ridges to marine reefs.[2]
Good to know
A few clear answers before you explore.
What links Casa Manila’s paving to maritime trade?
The Intramuros guide identifies the Chinese granite in the zaguan and patio as stone once carried aboard trading ships as ballast.[1]
How did Casa Manila’s windows admit air and manage sunlight?
Capiz shells form the panes; wooden persianas temper sunlight, and lower ventanillas add ventilation.[1]
What do the Natural History Museum’s courtyard and displays share?
The National Museum calls the metal-framed glass dome over its central courtyard the Tree of Life and describes the structure as connecting the country’s ecosystems from mountain ridges to marine reefs.[2]
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