Gota de Leche Building, Italian Renaissance building in Sampaloc, Philippines
The Gota de Leche Building is a two-story brick structure in Sampaloc featuring a series of adjoining arches with glazed terracotta spandrels and large windows set beneath shaded openings. It preserves its original wooden ceilings, moldings, carved details, and exposed truss work that demonstrate the craftsmanship of the early 1900s.
Architects Arcadio and Juan Arellano designed this building in 1915 to provide food and care for children facing widespread malnutrition during that era. Its Italian Renaissance style reflected contemporary design trends while addressing urgent social needs of the time.
This building served as a vital gathering place where poor families could feed and care for their children, a mission that still shapes its character today. The spaces within carry the memory of compassion and community bonds that formed across generations.
The building is clearly visible from the street and its architectural details are easy to observe from outside, making it straightforward to explore. Morning visits offer the best lighting for appreciating the brick surfaces and carved details throughout the structure.
The structure incorporates a sophisticated ventilation strategy using rounded windows positioned near the ceiling that direct warm air upward while maintaining cooler air below. This design approach represents an early example of passive climate control in architecture and shows innovative thinking in creating comfortable spaces.
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