Regina Building, previously known as Roxas Building, is a historic building located along

Escolta Street Escolta Street (lit: Escort) is a historic east–west street located in the old downtown district of Binondo in Manila, Philippines. It runs parallel to the Pasig River, from Plaza Santa Cruz to Plaza Moraga and Quintin Paredes Street. The s ...

in Binondo,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It was designed sequentially by

Andrés Luna de San Pedro Andrés Pardo de Tavera Luna (September 9, 1887 – January 22, 1952) was a Filipino architect who built the first air-conditioned building in the Philippines, the Crystal Arcade one of the popular tenant of Manila Stock Exchange (previous ...

and Fernando H. Ocampo. The neoclassical beaux-arts commercial structure was built in 1915.

History

Regina Building, originally known as Roxas Building was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of

Juan Luna Juan Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (, ; October 23, 1857 – December 7, 1899) was a Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century. He became one of the first recogniz ...

and was built in 1915 at the corner of Escolta Street and Calle David in Binondo, Manila. The design combined the styles of neoclassicism and beaux-arts. It was a three-storey structure during the time it was built but was later expanded into a fourth floor by Fernando Ocampo when the De Leon family bought if from the Roxases. The building was renamed Regina Building in 1926. This building is surrounded on its two sides by two bodies of water, Estero de la Reina and the

Pasig River The Pasig River ( fil, Ilog Pasig) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its ...

. Madrigal Steamship company owned by the former senator

Vicente Madrigal Vicente María Epifanio López Madrigal (born Vicente María Epifanio Madrigal y López; April 5, 1880 – June 6, 1972) was a successful Spanish Filipino business tycoon, industrialist and politician. At the height of his wealth, from the 1950s ...

had its main office in the building. The senator also rented a room here for his staff. Many insurance companies also occupied the structure during its heyday including one of the first Filipino-owned insurance companies (now is Spanish-owned Mapfre Insular Insurance), the Provident Insurance Corporation in 1934. The building now houses several freight forwarding companies.

References

External links

Buildings and structures in Binondo Commercial buildings completed in 1915 Tourist attractions in Manila Office buildings in Metro Manila {{Philippines-struct-stub