SM Prime Holdings Inc. has unveiled plans for a serious, P7-billion redevelopment of SM Megamall, one of many nation’s most iconic and highest-performing retail areas. The undertaking, led by United Kingdom-based architectural agency Benoy, will rework the mall right into a extra energy-efficient and nature-inspired vacation spot beneath the theme “Crystal Islands.” The phased renovation is scheduled for completion by 2029.
The redesign attracts inspiration from the Philippines’ pure magnificence, aiming to mix a vibrant panorama with a contemporary retail expertise. A key characteristic of the undertaking is the creation of a Stage 5 Backyard, an air-conditioned oasis crammed with tropical crops, eating areas, and seating for social gatherings.
To maximise daylight and scale back cooling prices, the backyard will probably be topped with ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roofing, a light-weight and eco-friendly various to glass.
Past aesthetics, sustainability is a core element of the redesign. The mall will combine a rainwater harvesting system with a 500-cubic-meter capability and upgraded mechanical programs to chop vitality use.Â
Moreover, energy-efficient LED lighting and sensor-activated escalators are anticipated to ship vital vitality financial savings. The corporate can be reviewing the set up of photo voltaic panels as a part of its broader carbon discount program.
The undertaking will add an estimated 20,000 sq. meters of gross leasable space, introduce themed retail zones, and embody a brand new four-level basement parking facility with greater than 1,600 slots. Different upgrades embody expanded walkways, wider corridors, relocated cinemas, a redesigned meals court docket, a brand new Megatrade Corridor, and modernized vertical transport.
To handle the large undertaking with out fully shutting down the mall, the brand new format will probably be divided into three themed zones—Emerald, Sapphire, and Rhodolite Islands—permitting the renovation to be accomplished in phases.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan acknowledged the “painful” however essential strategy of closing sure parts of the mall for redevelopment, noting that the undertaking is essential for the enterprise’s long-term sustainability.
The mall presently boasts the very best per-square-meter gross sales throughout the corporate’s properties, with an extended ready listing of tenants. The “Crystal Islands” makeover is about to not solely improve the client expertise but additionally solidify SM Megamall’s place as a frontrunner in sustainable mall improvement.
