Location: Bacolor, Philippines.

Architect: BAAD Studio.

The Cabetican Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Bacolor, Pampanga, Philippines was built in 1981 and became a popular pilgrimage site until it was submerged by the 1991 volcanic eruption that killed over 700 people. Today, the shrine remains a historical landmark and is still used for worship and social events, but it is mostly unusable due to flooding. A design team was tasked with creating a plan to make the shrine resilient to tough weather conditions while respecting its history and culture. The team used waterproofed reinforced concrete walls, a flood basin, and natural raw landscape to prevent flooding and create an evacuation center for the community. The shrine was not renovated or decorated, but instead, the team integrated silent turbo jet fans, solar panels, and LED lights to represent the lives lost during the eruption. The design approach was to maintain the historical landmark as a place of memory while ensuring it could serve its community. The team’s goal was to stay relevant and emotionally invisible while respecting the essence, history, and culture of the building.