A model kit book is letting children recreate historic Intramuros with their hands.
“Intramuros: The Walled City” is a “Cut-and-Build Your Own Model Fort” written and illustrated by Adrian Panadero as his undergraduate thesis at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Tahanan Books published Panadero’s work on the history of Intramuros in a paper cut-out model designed to be taken apart and assembled piece by piece by the whole family or by students in the classroom alone or as a group.
The book is written in English, and is recommended for children ages 8 years old and up.
The full color illustrated book includes 5 worksheets.
“Make you own miniature Intramuros while you learn about its story. Build its heart, the Plaza Mayor, and its historic fortress, Fort Santiago. Peer inside its houses and government buildings, imagine the people who walked its cobblestone streets, and learn hands-on the amazing story behind its walls,” goes the book introduction.
The book description describes Panadero’s work as focused on the Intramuros of the 1800s, a time a time when Filipinos were awakening to a period of enlightenment after centuries of colonial rule.
Panadero says his inspiration for the project is “the sorry state of heritage conservation and appreciation for history in the Philippines. I feel that many Filipinos tend to have “amnesia” when it comes to their history and heritage and it shows how they value different heritage sites such as Intramuros.
Heritage sites are being traded off for malls and skyscrapers; while others are being regarded as mere sites for field trips without knowing its value. Through this book, I hope to change that, even in just a small way, by introducing to children stories which they could use the value our country’s many heritage sites like Intramuros,” states the And A Half Design Studio graphic artist in a Design Ideas post.
Intramuros is a popular tourist destination in Manila and was recently in the headlines for being the first project of the Department of Tourism’s new Faith Tourism section.
The Intramuros model kit book which tells of the history of Intramuros sells for P295 a piece.
