Locsin was born on August 15, 1928, in
Silay,
Negros Occidental, a grandson of the first governor of the province. He completed his elementary education at
De La Salle College in Manila before returning to Negros due to the
Second World War. Locsin then returned to
Manila to finish his secondary education in
La Salle and studied Pre-Law before shifting to pursue a
Bachelor's Degree in Music at the
University of Santo Tomas. Although he was a talented pianist, he later shifted to Architecture. in the University of the Philippines Diliman was the first building designed by Locsin to be constructed. Built by
Alfredo L. Juinio and fellow UP professors, it is the first circular church and the first
thin-shell concrete dome in the Philippines. In 1955, Fr. John Delaney, S.J., then Catholic Chaplain at the
University of the Philippines - Diliman, commissioned Locsin to design a chapel with an open plan and can easily accommodate 1,000 people. The
Church of the Holy Sacrifice is the first round chapel in the Philippines to have an altar in the middle, and the first to have a thin shell concrete dome. The floor of the church was designed by
Arturo Luz, the
Stations of the Cross by
Vicente Manansala and
Ang Kiukok, and the cross by
Napoleon Abueva, all of whom are now National Artists.
Alfredo L. Juinio served as the building's structural engineer. Today, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute (now the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines) and the
National Museum, respectively. s supporting the façade of the
Tanghalang Pambansa On his visit to the United States, Locsin met some of his influences,
Paul Rudolph and
Eero Saarinen. It was then he realized to use
concrete, which was relatively cheap in the Philippines and easy to form, for his buildings. In 1969, he completed what was to be his most recognizable work, the Theater of Performing Arts (now the ) of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines. The
marble façade of the building is cantilevered from the terrace by huge arching columns at the sides of the building, giving it the impression of being afloat. A large
lagoon in front of the theatre mirrors the building during daytime, while fountains are illuminated by underwater lights at nighttime. The building houses four theaters, a museum of ethnographic art and other temporary exhibits, galleries, and a library on Philippine art and culture. In 1974, Locsin designed the Folk Arts Theater (now the
Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas), which is one of the largest single-span buildings in the Philippines with a span of . It was completed in only 77 days, in time for the 1974
Miss Universe Pageant. Locsin was also commissioned to build the
Philippine International Convention Center, the country's premiere international conference building. After the
Federico Ilustre-designed original terminal of
Manila International Airport was destroyed by a fire in 1962, the Philippine government chose Locsin for the rehabilitation design. Serving as an international terminal for 10 years, it later became a domestic terminal upon the opening of what is now the present-day
Terminal 1, which was also designed by Locsin. A second fire later damaged the rehabilitated domestic terminal in 1985 and the site is currently occupied by the present-day
Terminal 2. Locsin was also commissioned in 1974 to design the
Ayala Museum to house the Ayala art collection. It was known for the juxtaposition of huge blocks to facilitate the interior of the exhibition. Locsin was a close friend of the Ayalas. Before taking the board examination, he took his apprenticeship at Ayala and Company (now the
Ayala Corporation) and was asked to design the first building on
Ayala Avenue, and several of the Ayalas' residences. When the collection of the Ayala Museum was moved to its current location, the original was demolished with Locsin's permission. The current building was dedicated in 2004, and designed by his firm, L.V. Locsin and Partners, led by his son Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr. Locsin also designed some of the buildings at the
UP Los Baños campus. The Dioscoro Umali Hall, the main
auditorium, is clearly an example of his distinct architecture, with its large
canopy that makes it resemble the main theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Most of his work is concentrated in the Freedom Park, with the Student Union Building which was once damaged by a fire, the
Carillon, the Continuing Education Center and the auditorium. He also designed the SEARCA Residences, and several structures at the
National Arts Center (housing the Philippine High School for the Arts) at
Mt. Makiling,
Los Baños, Laguna. Most of Locsin's work has been within the country, but in 1970, he designed the Philippine Pavilion of the
World Expo in
Osaka, Japan. His largest single work is the
Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the
Sultan of Brunei. In 1992, he was awarded the
Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. Locsin's last work was a church in
Malaybalay,
Bukidnon. == Personal life ==