Makati City in Metropolitan Manila Fourth District, Metro Manila, Philippines — Southeast Asia

Nielson Tower

Photographed by Jonathan McGrain, August 9, 2024

1. Nielson Tower Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Ipinatayo noong 1937 sa lupaing pagaari ng mga Ayala at Cia. Ang Nielson Tower ay nagsilbing himpilang pampasahero at sentro ng pamamahala ng Paliparang Nielson. Ginamit mula 1937 hanggang 1947. Ang paliparang ito ang unang makabago at komersyal na paliparang pandaigdig sa bansa. Noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig at sa magkahiwalay na panahon, ito ay naging punong himpilan ng kapwa hukbong sandatahan ng Hapon at ng Estados Unidos. Sa muling pagsasaayos ng gusali, pinanatili ng Ayala Group of Companies ang orihinal na arkitektura nito bago magkadigma upang magsilbing tagapagpagunita sa larangan ng transportasyon at komunikasyon.

Ngayon, ang gusaling ito ang kinalalagyan ng Pilipinas Heritage Library at nagsisilbing kawing ng bansa sa daigdig sa pamamagitan ng ugnayang pangkaalaman.

English translation
Built in 1937 on land owned by the Ayalas & Co. The Nielson Tower served as the passenger terminal and management center of the Nielson Airport. Used from 1937 to 1947. This airport was the first modern commercial international airport in the country. During the Second World War and at different

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times, it was the headquarters of both the Armed Forces of Japan and the United States. In the restructuring of the building, the Ayala Group of Companies kept its original pre-war architecture to serve as a monument in the field of transportation and communication.

Today, this building houses the Filipinas Heritage Library and serves as the country's link to the world through information exchange.

Erected 1996.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II.

Location. 14° 33.351′ N, 121° 1.479′ E. Marker is in Makati City, Metro Manila, in Metropolitan Manila Fourth District. It is on Makati Avenue 0.1 kilometers north of Ayala Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Today, Nielson Tower is the location of Blackbird, a restaurant and bar. The Filipinas Heritage Library referenced on the marker has moved to a nearby location. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6752 Makati Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila 1229, Philippines. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in Asia,

specifically in Southeast Asia,

in the Malay Archipelago,

in the Pacific Ocean,

in North Pacific,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a Spanish colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Filipino Entrepreneurs (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (approx. 2.9 kilometers away); Associacion Feminista Filipina

Photographed by Jonathan McGrain, August 9, 2024

2. Nielson Tower Marker

This view shows the entrance to Blackbird at Nielson Tower, with the marker to the right.

(approx. 4.5 kilometers away); Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines (approx. 4.6 kilometers away); Cosmopolitan Church (approx. 4.7 kilometers away); Philippine General Hospital (approx. 4.8 kilometers away); Plaza Olivia Salamanca (approx. 5.3 kilometers away); Central United Methodist Church (approx. 5.3 kilometers away).

Nielson Tower image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jonathan McGrain, August 9, 2024

3. Nielson Tower

This view includes the garden and terrace at the rear of Blackbird at Nielson Tower. This is the side of the tower that faced the airport runways.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2024, by Jonathan McGrain of Richboro, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 923 times since then and 115 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 4, 2024, by Jonathan McGrain of Richboro, Pennsylvania. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.