After 52 years, the iconic Philam Life Auditorium, known for its excellent acoustics, has made its final curtain call.
The site has been bought by mall developer SM Development Corp. (SMDC). SMDC for its part, said there are no definite plans for the site yet, although public expectation is that it will be torn down to give way to another mall.
According to reports, there had been plans to renovate the entire building and save the auditorium. However, the cost would run up to billions, and this plan was quickly abandoned.
Built in 1961, the Philam Life Auditorium is considered a landmark at United Nations Avenue in Ermita, Manila. The theater has 780-seat capacity and the acoustics were done by Bolt, Beranek, & Newman. This is the same team which did the acoustics of the Sydney Opera House, United Nations Assembly Hall in New York, Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Baltimore’s Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, among others.
The Philam Life building was designed by Filipino architect Carlos Arguelles. Through the decades, the Philam Life Auditorium has hosted dozens of renowned artists and performers.
