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Ian’s latest talk explores the largely unknown but rich architectural legacy of the ancestral houses of the central Philippines, which were built on the profits of the lucrative sugar industry. These grand mansions show an assured blending of styles that belies their relatively overlooked location: the ‘sugar barons’ responsible for them undertook Grand Tours of Western capitals, returning with a craving to bring the newest trends from Paris or Vienna to the provincial Philippines – or to partake of the latest streamlined ‘Moderne’ style from the USA.

He compares their locations – the central Philippine cities of Iloilo and Negros – with other trading towns such as the Hanseatic free cities of medieval Germany and the picturesque ‘trade-wind’ port of Hoi An on the Vietnamese coast. The talk also investigates whether they contributed to a Philippine national style after colonial rule by the Spanish and Americans – with comparisons with the efforts of visionary architect Hassan Fathy in the ‘New Egypt’ and the unique Rondo-cubist style in post-war Czechoslovakia, among others.

Ian’s talk will showcase the stunning images captured by Siobhán Doran for her award-winning book, “Houses that Sugar Built: An Intimate Portrait of Philippine Ancestral Homes.” As the producer and photographer of this project, Siobhán Doran’s work not only offers a glimpse into the architectural heritage of the Philippines but also earned her the prestigious Architecture prize in the Sony World Photography Awards.

Tickets are free for this event but must be booked in advance. 

Book your place here

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