Bahay na bato interior windows#

But the chapel is also another sign of affluence as gauged from the religious statues and images made of wood and ivory and enthroned in a urna that usually resembles the retablo (altarpiece) of a nearby church.Ĭomedor is the dining room where families and friends gather to feast and drink. Here they gather at night to pray the rosary. However, there are also some affluent families who build a chapel inside the house. The oratorio or prayer room in a bahay na bato is usually located in the entresuelo.

Bahay na bato interior windows#

The exterior corridor by the windows is called volada and is used by servants to pass through the rooms of the house, from the cocina (kitchen) to the comedor (dining room) or from the antesala to the sala mayor, hidden from visitors. These are called calado or carved wooden screen placed at the ceiling and hung one or two metres down.

The decorative wooden panels that adorn the walls of the antesala as well as other parts of the house circulate air between rooms. Some of the aesthetic details of a traditional bahay na bato are used mainly for their function. Read Also: The Untold Sacred Weaving Of Ifugaos Here, prominent guests of the masters of the house discuss the latest in politics, business and fashion, while the children lead the singing, dancing and playing of musical instruments. It becomes a grand hall where tertulia (late afternoon parties) and baile (ball) are held. Its contents-furniture, figurines, artworks- are used to show off one’s status in society. Sala mayor is the most important part of the house for it is opened to guests on special occasions only. It is also where the masters of the house take their merienda (afternoon snacks). Here in the antesala, visitors are entertained. The entresuelo leads to the antesala, also known as caida which means “to fall”, referring to the stair landing that connects the two levels. It is sensible that the office is located here as beside the zaguan below this level is the silong, where goods and crops harvested from the hacienda are temporarily stored. This is where the owner of the house conducts business transactions together with his clerks and accountants. But the main highlight of the entresuelo is the despacho, also known as oficina. In houses owned by the elites, there are rooms in the entresuelo that are reserved for the extended family of the owners or to visiting guests. A grand staircase called escalera welcomes the guests, leading them to the entresuelo or mezzanine. Within the large wooden door is a smaller door for people, called postigo. To enter the house, an Antillean door knocker can be used to inform the servants that someone is outside.

Usually, the patio is connected to the azotea, an open-air balcony where one can see the aljibe, the water cistern, filled with rainwater or potable water. The patio is used as a garden and serves to cool the rooms of the house. At ground level, there usually is the patio, with flooring of Piedra China or Chinese granite and the patterned hand-painted tiles imported from Spain called azulejo. Hence, a traditional bahay na bato would have large wooden doors called entrada principal to let carruajes (carriages) enter the zaguan (corridor). The mansions of the principalia class were known for their grandness in scale.