Afable Building, Historic medical building in Manila, Philippines.
The Afable Building sits at the corner of Nicanor Reyes Street and Lerma Street with a trapezoidal shape that faces the wider boulevard. The ground floor now holds retail shops, while the upper stories serve as a dormitory for students.
Built between 1931 and 1932, the structure originally housed the Afable College of Medicine and Surgery, established by physician Dr. Valentin Afable. Over the decades, the building transitioned from medical education to mixed use with retail and residential spaces.
The building was designed by Filipino architect Pablo Antonio Sr. and displays Art Deco details that show the design tastes of early 20th century Philippines. The decorative elements on the facades remain visible to visitors today.
The building is accessible from multiple street entrances, which makes it easy to reach different floors. Visitors should know that retail areas on the ground floor and residential spaces upstairs share the same structure.
The facades reveal two different architectural periods at the same building: the original 1932 design on the Lerma Street side and a 1960 renovation on the Nicanor Reyes Street side. This layering tells the story of how the structure changed over time.
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