MAPUA UNIVERSITTY
INTRAMUROS, MANILA
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN,
AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
S.Y. 2017-2018
AR146/146S – BR1
RESEARCH 200
MEHAN GARDEN
CARVAJAL, DARLENE N.
2014121409
AR-3
PROF. DATOC
Mehan Garden is an open space in Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1858 by
the Spanish colonialauthorities as a botanical garden, called the Jardín Botánico, outside
the walled city.
Mehan is a patch of land—28,000 square meters—located across the Ombudsman building on
Taft Avenue. Commuters who take the LRT should be able to easily spot it—the place sits on the
side of the Central Terminal.
In the 1960s, it was so green and lush that colegialas at St. Scholastica’s College insisted on
holding their graduation there. But now it looks like a garbage dump, home to the city’s
vagrants, pickpockets and other street residents
History
Botanical Garden
It was one of a number of botanical gardens established in Asia by European colonial powers
(for example, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in 1787 and Bogor
Botanical Gardens in 1817).
Sebastián Vidal was the best known director of the garden. He came to the Philippines in 1871 to
work in the forestry service (Inspección General de Montes). He was director between 1878 and
his death in 1889.[1] His obituary in Popular Science Monthly described him as "practically a
pioneer in the investigation of the Philippine flora".[2] (In fact, a flora of the archipelago had been
published by Francisco Manuel Blanco, but it was unsatisfactory). For his publications on
Philippine flora, Vidal not only collected specimens, but also studied Malesian flora held in
European herbaria, such as the Kew herbarium.[3]
Public Park
The American occupiers of Manila decided that the site was not suitable for a botanical garden
and was more suitable for a public park. In 1913 it was renamed after John C. Mehan, who was
in charge of Manila's parks and sanitation.[4] The Mehan Garden was declared a historical site by
the National Historical Institute in 1934.[5]
The Garden is the open space off Liwasang Bonifacio (across the Philippine Post Office Main
Building), bounded by Taft Avenue, LRT Central Terminal, the Metropolitan Theater,
and Manila City Hall. Inside the Garden are structures such as the Lawton Park n' Ride building
and the Universidad de Manila.
Physical Setting
A long time ago, there was a plot of land beside the Manila City Hall where old trees
proliferated. Known as the Mehan Garden, it was a park where city dwellers could commune
with nature.
Over the decades, little by little, Mehan Garden gave way to various construction projects.
Today, only a small portion of the original garden remains. Still, the trees which are more than a
century old are still thriving.
The remnants of the Mehan Garden has not been kept properly by the city government, but the
trees are still alive and well. Although there isn't much grass, the place still invites couples and
families to lounge and relax, read books, listen to music, or just chat the hours away.
There is nothing much to expect to the lingering traces of the garden which will surely leave
one’s mind in disappointment. Much of the ground was already eaten up by the public school.
One portion was devoted as storage space for some carnival equipment. The remaining garden
was not maintained. The traces of landscaping in the garden were displeasing.
Hopefully, the current or the next administration for the city will take better care of the site.
Incidentally, on the other side of the back road is a small forested area which has more lush
greenery. This was a project of former Mayor Fred Lim. Thankfully, the administration of Mayor
Erap Estrada has allowed the forest park to survive.
Proposal
A living open space redevelopment of Mehan Garden has been envisioned. This must showcase
the Garden's priceless history and purpose, the city's rich and diverse approaches of urban living.
This should also capture Manila's present-day vision for urban development, thereby faithfully
providing a canvas for a broad and unique experience of a garden oasis found right in the middle
of Manila.
It has a rich history. Before, it was the site of the Parian where Spanish authorities designated
living quarters for Manila's Chinese population that was within sight and cannon shot of
Intramuros. It is a treasure trove. A sample dig done last year by archaeologists yielded enough
artifacts to reinforce an earlier National Museum designation of it as an archaeological preserve.
The proposal is to redevelop the Mehan Garden by putting up various elements that can distract
the users from the busy road of Manila
Such as:
Greenhouse or butterfly sanctuary
Kiosks and benches around the area
Lush vegetation having different kinds of trees and shrubs that will help to decrease the polution
around the area
Proper pedestrian lanes
Open space for events and such
Public restrooms can be placed for the commuter while waiting for their ride
Office to administrate the area.
REFERENCE
https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Mehan%20Garden&item_type=topic
http://pinoytrees.blogspot.com/2010/04/look-at-mehan-garden.html
