The facade of the mall. Click on image to view a bigger size.
This is the 11th installment of the Luzon – Visayas – Luzon Loop series. Click the image on the right to check out the rest of the posts.
“From the shoe box style… it has been liberated and updated with light, airy and spacious designs.”Believe it or not, with only few hours in Bacolod, I opted to visit Henry Sy’s new pilgrimage center, SM City Bacolod, instead. Yeah, I passed by San Sebastian Cathedral, that beautiful old colonial era edifice but didn’t bring with me my camera. Not that I’m a big fan of malls, where I just find the offerings generic and nothing special, I was more intrigued by its architecture. From the shoe box style of which these brand of malls started with, it has been liberated and updated with light, airy and spacious designs.
View of interior of the mall. Click on image for a bigger size.
Unfortunately, the sophisticated exterior cannot be matched by the interior. Strip it of decorations and strips and pieces and what you have is just an elongated warehouse connected by two footbridges. With the available stores, one doesn’t have much choice but the usual, tired and same products that are offered elsewhere.
It is a shame that with all his money Mr.Sy and Co. don’t build nicer malls.
They are just eyesores… no exception in Bacolod!
Mr. Sy reached an age where he should think of his legacy… I hope he doesn’t want to be remembered just as a good businessman…
Why don’t he hire some truly GREAT international architects to build his malls. Just put the Philippines on the map as a place where world class malls are build. Not some ugly concrete boxes that destroy whole neighborhoods.
Sayang… again, so many missed opportunities!
I really feel depressed lately… ;-(
Maybe the hot weather…
ahh. SM. i miss the pre-SM baguio where traffic is inexistent and what towers in the skyline is the baguio cathedral.
the usual SM. new exterior and common interior. but it’s still is a nice mall.