SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is a shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall chain owner and developer in the Philippines. SM Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines after SM City North EDSA, 3rd largestshopping mall in Asia and the 4th (Ref. Forbes' World's 10 Largest Shopping Malls) largest shopping mall in the world. It has a land area of 42 hectares and has a gross floor area of an approximate 390,193 square metres (4.20000×106 sq ft) and 407,101 square metres (4.38200×106 sq ft) of total area. The mall is located inBay City, Pasay, Philippines near the SM Central Business Park, the Manila Bayand the southern end of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. The mall attracts a daily average foot traffic of about 200,000 people. SM Mall of Asia's reign from being the largest shopping mall in the Philippines from 2006 was taken over by SM City North EDSA when it was redeveloped in 2008, relegating Mall of Asia to 2nd place.
The mall is the centerpiece project of SM Prime at the SM Central Business Park, where five one-story buildings serve as the company's corporate offices (the sixth building being occupied by TeleTech Holdings, Inc. as their flagship site in the country). Construction began in mid-2002 right after the completion of a contemporary medical school, dining strip and residential complex at Macapagal Boulevard, adjacent to the SM Central Business Park.
The SM Mall of Asia's design team includes Arquitectonica, design Architect; Robert Carag Ong and Associates, architect of record; GHT Services, project manager, and Hilmarc's Construction Corp. (for the south parking building, main mall, and entertainment mall) and Monolith Construction Development Corp. (for the north parking building), general contractors.
The mall would have opened before Christmas Day of 2005 but had been delayed due to hitches in the delivery of construction materials. Frequent rains in the last quarter of 2005 also delayed the turnover of mall space to tenants. SM Prime decided to move the opening date to March 3, 2006.
On February 27, 2006, local newspaper Manila Standard Today, reported that a team of Pasay City engineers found huge cracks underneath the structure, which was causing the structure to vibrate.When questioned about the inspection, the Pasay City Engineering Department denied making any statement regarding defects in the Mall of Asia. Engineer Edwin Javaluyas, Pasay City engineering officer, in his letter to SM Prime Holdings Inc., said he never stated that the city hall's engineering department inspected the Mall of Asia on February 23, 2006.
SM Prime however decided to move the opening to May 21 of that year. Jeffrey Lim, corporate information officer of SM Prime Holdings, emphasized that a rescheduling of the mall's opening was made to give the company an opportunity to allow more tenants to open shops and denied that the change was due to structural defects. Also known as "The Largest Mall in Asia" and "The 4th Largest Mall in the World" On May 20, 2006, the mall was officially inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with a special screening ofEverest in the San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theater. The movie was shown three days after tri-athlete Leo Oracion reached the treacherous mountain's summit. SM Bay City Arena which is under construction will be the newest addition to the attractions at the mall where large events like concerts, circus, ice shows, sports and entertainment events can be held. It is located at the side of the mall church and will compete with the 50 year-old Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
No comments:
Post a Comment