The Best of Archi-Trivia

Q: Where can you find groups of intact Spanish

heritage houses in the Philippines?
A: We can find some at Intramuros, Manila & the
other at Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Q: The Quezon Monument in Diliman, Quezon City,
is exactly 66 meters high. Why?
A: President Manuel Quezon died at this age 66.
Q: What's the oldest Hotel in Philippines and the
first to have an air-conditioned rooms too?
A: The Manila Hotel
Q: Name the 4 World Heritage Churches in the
Phils.?
A: 1. The Barasoain Church in Bulacan, 2. San
Sebastian Cathedral, Manila, 3. Miag-ao Church
in Iloilo, & 4. The Paoay Parish Church in Ilocos
Norte.
Q: The Eight Wonder of the World finally belongs to
us, what is it?
A: The Banaue Rice Terraces
Q: Juan Luna is best known for his painting
Spolarium. What's a Spolarium?
A: The Spolarium is the part of a Roman
amphitheater where bodies of slain gladiators were
taken.
Q: The Cities of Chicago, U.S. and Baguio,
Philippines have something in common; what is it?
A: Both were designed & planned by city plannerarchitect Daniel Burnham.
Q:Who is the first licensed architect in the
Philippines?
A: Tomas Mapua was the first Filipino licensed
architect.

Q:Kilometric distances between Manila and

provincial points are measured starting where?
A: The Rizal Monument
Q: Is Big Ben a clock or a tower?
A: That London landmark called Big Ben is neither
the clock nor tower. It's the bell thats strikes the
hour. It was name after the British public works
commissioner Benjamin Hall, and it weighs 13 tons.
The tower is simply named Clock Tower and the
clock, clock.
Q: What's the Largest Antique ever?
A: The London Bridge
Q: How did the White House came to be called the
"White House"?
A: The White House, home of U.S. presidents,
was'nt always white, and it was'nt always
called the "White House." It's first color was gray ad
it's original name was the President's
Palace. But because its gray sandstone walls looked
white next to the red brick walls of
nearby public buildings, the mansion became
known as the White House.
Q: Juan Luna is best known for his painting
Spolarium. What's a Spolarium?
A: The Spolarium is the part of a Roman
amphitheater where bodies of slain gladiators
were taken.
Q: What was the first hotel in the world?
A: Considered the world's first hotel was the
Tremont, which opened in Boston in 1829. It
had a dining roomfor 200 people, 12 public rooms
and 120 bedrooms, with a bar off soap
provided in each. The Tremont had no inn sign
which help discouraged illiterate travelers.
Q: The Cities of Chicago, U.S. and Baguio,
Philippines have something in common; what is it?
A: Both were designed & planned by city plannerarchitect Daniel Burnham.

Q: What's the largest residencial palace?

A: The largest so far in use is that of Sultan of
Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. It has its own
heliport and mosque, 1,788 rooms, a garage for the
Sultan's 110 cars (as of last count) and
space for 800 vehicles in all, and 3.2 kilimeters of
air-conditioning. The Palace reportedly
cost $422 million.
Q: The term of fear of looking up at tall structures
is?
A: Anablepophobia
Q: Isn't MERALCO a wrong acronym for Manila
Electric Company?
A: The power company used to be known as Manila
Electric Railroad and Light Company, or MERALCO
for short. This was during the American period
when it operated the ciitie's electric streetcar
system after establishing a powerhouse at Isla de
Provisor near Ayala Bridge. Gone is the streetcar
but the acronym lives on.
Q: Is there an airport on the Ayala Triangle in
Makati decades back?
A:Yes, there is but not too big. It still has some
trace of the past, like the Library now there in Ayala
Triangle used to be the departure & arrival area.