Manila Film Center, Brutalist movie theater in Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Pasay, Philippines.
The Manila Film Center is a brutalist building in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay. Rough concrete walls rise over several stories and leave the load-bearing elements openly visible.
Construction began in 1981 as part of an initiative for an international film festival and was inaugurated one year later. Over the following decades the use changed between cinema and stage space.
The building was designed to showcase films from around the world and took its name from this international purpose. The structure with its monumental concrete forms follows the brutalist style of the 1980s and still stands as a widely visible sign for cinema and performances.
After extensive renovation work the space now serves for performances and occasional events. Access leads through the grounds of the cultural center and is usually open during daytime.
Below the visible part of the building lie foundations driven deep into soft ground to carry the weight of the concrete masses. Despite the massive construction some upper areas have remained unfinished to this day and show the original formwork traces in the raw concrete.
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