Born at the turn of the century, National Artist in Architecture Pablo S. Antonio pioneered modern Philippine architecture. His basic design is grounded on simplicity, no clutter. The lines are clean and  smooth, and where there are curves, these are made integral to the structure. Pablo Jr. points out, "For our father, every line must have a meaning, a purpose. For him, function comes first before elegance or form".

The other thing that characterizes an Antonio structure is the maximum use of natural light and cross ventilation. Antonio believes that buildings "should be planned with austerity in mind and its stability forever as the aim of true architecture, that buildings must be progressive, simple in design but dignified, true to a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics and should eternally recreate truth".

Compared to his predecessors, Antonio's architecture represented a new direction in Philippine Architecture. Characterized by clean lines, plain surfaces, and bold rectangular masses, his style identifies itself with the International Movement popularized by le Corbusier in Europe. A master of wood, stone and reinforced concrete, Antonio regarded every design project as unique and imparted to every building he created a distinctive form and character, avoiding anything that might be seen as a trademark.

He was honored Architect of the Year by the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA) in 1952 and was bestowed posthumously the highest distinction in the land, the National Artist Award for Architecture in 1976.

Antonio's major works include the following:

• Far Eastern University Administration and Science buildings;
• Manila Polo Club;
• Ideal Theater;
• Lyric Theater;
• Galaxy Theater;
• Capitan
• Luis Gonzaga Building;
• Boulevard-Alhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments;
• Ramon Roces Publications Building (now Guzman Institute of Electronics).

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