DMCI Homes and U.P. community welcome 2021 with the restoration of the U.P. Chapel

The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, or more popularly known as the U.P. Chapel at U.P. Diliman in Quezon City, has been repaired and repainted by DMCI Homes just in time for the new year.

DMCI Homes worked on rehabilitating the 65-year-old national historical landmark and cultural treasure by repairing its old and worn-out parts and repainting its interior and exterior facades. Work started in July 2020 and completed last December.

DMCI Homes did a series of consultations with U.P. officials and U.P. Parish to address the immediate needs of the chapel and to ensure that its original state of beauty and elegance were maintained when the repairs were executed.

The restoration of the U.P. Chapel was supposed to start early 2020 but due to the pandemic, the restoration plan was pushed back to the latter part of the year.

DMCI Homes led a team that facilitated the repair of masonry cracks, de-clogging of downspouts and drains, and the installation of new electrical fixtures. Repainting work was performed on the chapel’s iconic dome and roof as well as its walls, columns, eaves, under slabs, ceilings, and railings.

The murals depicting the Stations of the Cross, the marble altar, the floor mural, and the cross at the center of the chapel – all handiworks of national artists – were left untouched during the rehabilitation. In 2021, DMCI Homes will next restore the chapel’s ceiling or the underside of the dome as this was rescheduled to give way for the church activities during the 2020 Christmas season.

Completed in 1955, the U.P. Chapel was designed by national artist for architecture Leandro Locsin and built by Engr. David M. Consunji, known by many as the grandfather of construction in the Philippines and the founder of the DMCI group of companies.

The Chapel is considered an important architectural landmark due to its unique and timeless design as it is the first circular chapel in the country with the altar in its center for a more personal and engaging community worship experience. It is also the first structure in the country to feature a remarkable thin-shell concrete dome, made possible through Engr. Consunji’s innovation in the mixing and delivery of concrete. It is the only structure in the country to feature the works of five national artists.

With the restoration, DMCI Homes hopes to preserve the architectural, engineering, cultural, and religious significance of the Chapel for more people in the coming decades.

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WORDS+IMAGES: DMCI HOMES