Object description

The Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas , formerly known as the Folk Arts Theater, is a theater located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Manila, Philippines. It is a covered proscenium amphitheater owned by the Cultural Center of the Philippines that was a popular venue for concerts during the 1980s and 1990s. The theater, named after Filipino poet Francisco Balagtas, has a seating capacity of 8,458 in ten sections and features a broad fascia with a single column-to-column span of 80 metres . It is the largest single-span structure in the country, with a 100-by-100-metre roof resting on eight monumental columns. In her book "Cultural Center of the Philippines: Crystal Years," Visitacion de la Torre described it as a sheltered plaza with a roof that "appears to float, creating the impression that the building is a dream on one's tender hands."