The imposing structure before you is St La Salle Hall. It stands as a silent testament to history. A neoclassical masterpiece. This H-shaped building on Taft Avenue is more than just brick and mortar. It’s a living archive. A repository of stories whispered through the years.
St La Salle Hall is De La Salle University’s oldest building. Its construction began in 1920. It was completed in 1924. The college needed more space. Its student population had grown considerably. The previous campus in Paco Manila was too small. Tomas Mapua designed this iconic building. He won a competition against nine other architects. His prize was 5000 pesos. Mapua was the first Filipino registered architect. He later founded the Mapua Institute of Technology.
Originally a three-story structure a fourth floor was added in the 1990s. This was to house the De La Salle Brothers. The ground floor now houses the College of Business and the Pearl of Great Price Chapel. The second floor is home to the School of Economics and the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Classrooms and offices fill the building’s floors. Laboratories occupy some space as well.
St La Salle Hall suffered immense damage during World War II. Civilians sought refuge within its walls. They were seeking protection from the war’s brutal reality. Japanese forces occupied the building. They turned it into a headquarters. Tragically sixteen Brothers and twenty-five civilians were killed in the school chapel. This massacre happened on February 12 1945. The restoration of St La Salle Hall took two years. The cost was 246883 pesos.
Today St La Salle Hall stands proud. It is DLSU’s most historic building. It’s the only Philippine structure featured in the book 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die. Its neoclassical architecture continues to inspire. Its walls echo with the voices of generations of students. It is a reminder of resilience and the enduring legacy of education. Step inside St La Salle Hall. Feel the weight of history beneath your feet.