iSee Juan Luna

Hope for historical restoration

The Juan Luna e-Service Building was completed in 1922 according to the design of the American architecture firm Murphy, McGill, and Hamlin along the traditional New York Neoclassical designs which the building’s original owner, the International Banking Corporation, wanted for their overseas branches.

First known as the Pacific Commercial Company, a subsidiary of the IBC, it later became the Manila Office of the First National City Bank of New York, now more commonly known as Citibank. Having survived World War II, the building fell into decades of misuse and neglect which led to a general state of disrepair that was also felt by its neighbouring buildings.

It was bought and restored by the LBC Group of Companies, owned by the Araneta clan of businessmen, slated to be a mixed-use commercial office space and living monument to the old financial centre of Manila

Uncertain Future

On the 28th of May 2018, a fire struck the Land Management Bureau Building along Plaza Moraga in Binondo. After 12 hours, the firefighters failed to contain the growing blaze from crossing over into the neighbouring buildings. Sadly, the Juan Luna was also affected with its top three floors gutted by fire. The National Archives of the Philippines, a tenant of the building was also affected, but fortunately, historical records were stored elsewhere and were spared.