The Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall, formerly the Central Administration Building, is a nine-storey neoclassical building located within the campus of De La Salle University in the district of Malate in the city of Manila. It was built on the former location of the Br. Athanasius Gym in the year 2000 to house the central administrative offices of the university. Former university president Br. Rolando Dizon FSC referred to the building as the "nerve center of the university as well as the hub of university activities with its theater and teleconference rooms." A special feature of the building is the controlled central computer for building automation, particularly in the air-conditioning and fire protection systems. The building has an art gallery on the second floor and a three-storey state-of-the-art auditoriumon top. It was completed in the year 2002 and inaugurated on August 15 of the same year. Since its completion, the Yuchengco Hall has been featured on the background design of the University's ID cards. The building was constructed through the assistance of Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Chairman of the Yuchengco Center. The building was named in honor of his father Don Enrique T. Yuchengco ). The building was previously used by the College of Education; the College has since moved to the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall.
Building layout
The building has four elevators, four exit stairways, twenty classrooms and six teleconference rooms. The ground floor of the building is an open space that can be used for special events or gatherings. Three elevators can be found on the north end of the building and one large elevator at the southern end near the Br. Connon Hall. The Museum and the Yuchengco Center can be found on the second level. The administration offices, conference and multi-purpose rooms can be found on the third level while classrooms and seminar rooms can be found on the fourth and fifth levels. The sixth level contains several classrooms and a computer laboratory as well as administration offices. The Teresa G. Yuchengco Auditorium occupies the seventh level while the eighth and ninth levels are used for the auditorium balconies.
Teresa G. Yuchengco Auditorium
On the top levels of the building is the Teresa G. Yuchengco Auditorium, a 3-storey auditorium that can seat up to 1,100 persons. It was named in honor of the late wife of Ambassador Yuchengco. The auditorium is fully equipped with state-of-the-art light and sound systems that further enhances the programs and events. A two-level lobby could be found outside the auditorium for simple cocktails or gathering areas during intermissions. Graduation rites of the College of Business and Economics, Cultural Arts Office-sponsored activities, and the Annual Academic Recognition Rites are held in the auditorium. Several plays, concerts and ceremonies have also been held in the auditorium since its completion. The auditorium features a traditional proscenium stage as well as an orchestra pit. The backstage features comfort rooms as well as access to the building's freight elevator. Dressing rooms are found on the sixth floor, access to which is facilitated through internal stairwells. During large performances, classrooms are also employed as dressing rooms.
The Museum
De La Salle University has an art museum located on the second floor of Yuchengco Hall called The Museum, formerly known as the DLSU Art Gallery. Prior to its construction, the art gallery was housed at the University Library Building. The Museum can be accessed from either side of the second floor lobby or through the stairs located on the ground floor in front of the building. It houses collection of Philippine modern art generously donated by the heirs of Wili and Doreen Fernandez. Prominent artists, nine of them National Artists of the Philippines for the Visual Arts, have works displayed in The Museum, namely, Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, H.R. Ocampo, Arturo Luz, Vicente Manansala, Mauro Malang, Cesar Legaspi, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., Bencab, Ang Kiukok, among others. Every trimester, The Museum changes its exhibit with a new theme. The Museum has a floor area of approximately 450 square meters and is considered to have the largest exhibition space of all Metro Manila galleries. By comparison, the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines is 440 square meters.
