Gabriel P. Formoso

Gabriel P. Formoso (1915 to 1996) was one of the most respected Filipino architects of the postwar era, remembered for a modernism grounded in restraint. Among the first hundred licensed architects in the country, he began practicing in 1939 after working with Andres Luna and Pablo Antonio, and he built a career around a simple credo of beauty, social responsibility, and simplicity.

Over roughly four decades he designed some eighty buildings and more than a hundred and fifty residences. His signature institutional works include the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex and the Asian Institute of Management, both from around 1970, and the old Metropolitan Museum of Manila on Roxas Boulevard. He also designed the Manila Peninsula Hotel and other commercial landmarks.

In December 1973 he established Gabriel Formoso and Partners, the practice that continues today as GF and Partners Architects. His honors include the Republic Cultural Heritage Award and the Likha Award and Gold Medal, the highest recognition of the United Architects of the Philippines.