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Although
I live in the south, I pretty much grew up in Makati
City. Just like a parent watching his kids change and
mature as they grow older, I witnessed how the city
grew. I especially loved watching how Ayala kept on
improving its commercial developments. I was able to
walk through the halls of QUAD before they changed its
name to Glorietta. I was able to go on a field trip to
the National Artist Leandro Locsin-designed Ayala Museum
before they tore it down and built a new one a few
blocks away, this time designed by his son Andy Locsin.
I also remember spending the whole afternoon after
school in the man-made pond in the Greenbelt area while
enjoying my root-beer float from A&W.
As I
said, Ayala continuously improves on all its
developments to further enhance the quality of life of
their public and the business prospects of their partner
merchants, and in my opinion, the best facelift they
have done thus far is that of Greenbelt. They
recognized they already had a strong concept of a mall
built around a huge patch of greenery. From there, they
took a second look at what was then a commercial complex
with a dull aesthetic, and decided to revitalize it by
giving the complex a more global look while retaining
and enhancing the park in its core.
Out of
the structures in the
Greenbelt
family, the best addition for me is Greenbelt 5. As far
as the exterior is concerned, it is not a magnificent
piece of architecture, but what I like about it is the
very fact that it doesn’t steal the limelight away from
the existing Greenbelt structures. It doesn’t stick out
like the proverbial sore thumb.
Instead,
its look blends well with the preexisting structures,
achieving an aesthetic that is very unified and
respectful of its context. In fact, Greenbelt 5 also
echoes the successful recreational al-fresco strip of
Greenbelt 2 composed of restaurants and bars. They used
the same idea of extrawide cantilevered glass canopies
to provide an outdoor space that can be used by urban
socialites until the wee hours of the morning, rain or
shine.
In my
opinion,
Greenbelt 5 has one of the classiest interiors among the malls in
Metro Manila. It is evident in the design and finishes
that the developer spent a fortune on just to provide a
posh shopping environment for its patrons. Ceiling
heights are taller than usual, giving the inside a
loftier feel than the usual cramped malls. To further
enhance this lofty illusion, a full-length atrium runs
along the entire length of the mall, punctuated in the
middle by an even bigger central atrium that can double
as an activity space for large-crowd events. Neutral
shades such as off-white walls were used, accentuated
with dark-wood accents on the beams, columns and
handrails. Authentic wood veneer was integrated into the
railing and column designs, giving a very Filipino feel.
The flooring used is nothing less than a mixture of
polished and unhoned granite tiles, set in a zigzagged
pattern that achieves a very interesting surface—nothing
of the typical ceramic tiles in most malls today. The
lighting is also commendable. Ayala went the extra mile
of using modern chandeliers in the atriums and hallways
that act as art pieces in themselves. The ceiling in the
central atrium, in fact, was a creative response to the
lighting fixture for that particular space. A set of
round reflectors are integrated into the lighting
fixtures of the atrium for a more efficient diffusion of
light. These round reflectors also cast a beautiful
pattern of shadows on the ceiling when lit at night.
Even when unlit during the day, the ceiling was designed
with uneven surfaces so that it still has an interesting
play of shadows.
Ever
since it opened, I have loved spending time in this new
mall. It feels like the developer really went out of his
way to provide a beautiful space for its visitors, thus
making everybody feel a bit more special. I can only
imagine a world where every space felt like Greenbelt 5,
a space whose physical attributes positively affect the
quality of life of those who use them.
***You may e-mail the author at
design@buensalidoarchitects.com and visit his
web site at
www.buensalidoarchitects.com |
