The Ruins of the Aduana Building

A Spanish colonial building on the edge of Intramuros
Ominous skies over the hollow shell of the Aduana Building just outside the walls of Intramuros in Manila.

The Aduana Building, also known as the Intendencia, is located just outside the walls of Intramuros, the historic center of Spanish colonial Manila. Originally built as a customs house in the 1820s, it has undergone several cycles of destruction and renewal starting in 1863, when the building was almost completely destroyed by the same strong earthquake that leveled much of the old city. Rebuilt in the mid-1870s, it served various government functions—office of the National Archives, first home of the Philippines Senate, and again the Bureau of Customs—before it was ravaged during the initial and final bombing campaigns of World War II. After reconstruction it again served as the offices of different government agencies before it was finally abandoned following a devastating fire in 1979. Restoration plans have been floated since the 1990s but as of late 2015, when I wandered by, the Aduana Building remains in ruin.

Another look inside the Aduana Building
A peek inside the interior of the Aduana Building. I wasn’t able to find a way in but several ground floor windows afforded a decent view.
The halls of the Intendencia
The halls of the Intendencia.
The far side of the Intendencia
The far side of the Aduana Building from Intramuros.
Ruins of the Intendencia at sunset
Around back at the ruins of the Aduana Building in Old Manila.
The underlying substructure of the Intendencia
One last glance inside the ruins of the Intendencia.

For more photographs and history check out The Urban Roamer.

Write a Comment

Markdown and basic HTML are both allowed in the comments.
Your email address will not be published; required fields are marked