Locsin, Leandro (1928-1994), was a Filipino architect, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. His buildings are noted for their expressiveness and simplicity, and seem to reflect a specifically Filipino character.
Locsin designed more than 150 buildings, including dozens of public and commercial buildings, several churches and hotels, and an airport terminal building. His largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman (Palace of Religious Light), the palace of the sultan of Brunei, which has a floor area of 240,000 square yards (200,000 square meters).
Throughout his career, Locsin aimed to explore the artistic possibilities of space through architecture. Locsin’s first work was the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. It is an airy, circular space covered by a dome, with many openings but no formal doors or windows. Locsin also showed an ingenious use of space and structure in such works as the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay, which includes the Philippine Convention Center, and St. Andrew’s Church in Makati. His buildings are traditional as well as innovative, and they show an elegant combination of Eastern and Western influences.
Locsin was also committed to philanthropic causes. With his wife, Locsin established the LVL-CYA Foundation, dedicated to supporting the arts and sciences, community development, and scholarship programs for underprivileged students.
Leandro Valencia Locsin was born in Silay, Negros Occidental, on Aug. 15, 1928. He attended the University of Santo Tomas, gaining a degree in architecture in 1953. In 1987 he was given the Likha Award and Gold Medal by the United Architects of the Philippines for his outstanding contribution to architecture. President Corazon Aquino proclaimed him a National Artist for Architecture in 1990. The last project he worked on was the Transfiguration Monastery complex in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Locsin died in Manila on Nov. 15, 1994.
