SM City North EDSA

SM City North EDSA

"Celebrate to 1000 ways to shop and dine at the new SM City North EDSA" "This Is Our City" "We've got it all for you!"
Location	EDSA, North Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Opening date	· City Center: November 25, 1985  · Car Park Plaza: February 1988  · The SM City Annex: July 28, 1989  · The Block: July 28, 2006  · The Annex: December 12, 2008  · Sky Garden: May 2009  · Interior Zone: July 2009  · North Link: July 2010
Developer	SM Prime Holdings
Management	SM Prime Holdings
Owner	Henry Sy, Sr.
Architect	Arquitectonica
No. of stores and services	More than 1100 shops, including 400 dining establishments
Total retail floor area	482,878 m²
Parking	more than 10,000 cars
No. of floors	· City Center: 4  · The Block: 5  · The Annex: 6  · Interior Zone: 1  · Car Park Plaza: 5  · North Link: 6
Website	SM City North EDSA Official Website

SM City North EDSA is one of the largest malls in the Philippines and in the world in terms of leasable area (482,878 square meters). It is operated by SM Prime Holdings, a local holding company in the Philippines, the biggest retail and mall operator in Southeast Asia. Located at the intersection of North avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Quezon City, SM City North EDSA opened on November 25, 1985. The original concept offered a variety of tenants and flagship stores (i.e., department store, supermarket, bowling area, a foodcourt, and cinemas). The mall's redevelopment began with the opening of The Block in July 2006, and went into high gear with the launching of newly modernized Annex in December 2008, and the Skygarden in May 2009. The Car Park Plaza was also transformed into a lifestyle center on the same year. SM City North Edsa continues to be a work in progress with the ongoing renovation of the City Center and the development of the North Link. Back in 1985, it was the principal and only mall of its kind in the Philippines with a gross floor area of 120,000 sq m. It was constructed at a very challenging period in the Philippines' political history.

History

The lot chosen for retail development in 1978 was originally a swampy and remotely located land. At that time, SM Prime Holdings Inc. chairman, Henry Sy Sr., recognized it as a potential crossroads for regional traffic coming to and from the northern provinces of Luzon and surrounding suburban areas in Metro Manila. Construction started in 1983 and the once called “The SM Supermarket North Edsa” period began. The mall opened on November 25, 1985. It is the first mall built by SM Prime Holdings Inc. and at that time had a gross floor area of 125,000 square meters contained within the main building surrounded by an outdoor parking area. As more tenants and entertainment venues were added, The SM City North Edsa then came to be known as the mall that institutionalized the “one-stop" shopping concept. It was the first to introduce “malling” as a pastime in the Philippines. A 4-level carpark, also known as the Annex 1, was constructed in 1988; with the lower ground floor converted into an enclosed retail space. Another level was also added on its main mall. In 1989, a two-floor annex, also known as Annex 2 was built providing more leasable space, a bowling alley and four additional movie houses. The main building and the annexes were expanded with a lower ground level, and the first level of The Carpark Plaza was converted into Cyberzone, mainly for technology and gadget retail shops. Over the years, SM City North Edsa had seen four expansions and redevelopment, including the construction of Annex 3, which opened in 2006. In July 2006, Annex 3, also known as The Block was opened featuring a hypermarket, its flagship toy store, an additional four movie theaters retail shops and restaurants. On February 8, 2007, as part of its massive redevelopment plan, Annex 2 was completely demolished and construction of a new building started. Annex 2 was reopened on December 12, 2008. According to studies of large malls in the world by Eastern Connecticut State University, SM City North Edsa was ranked the 6th largest mall in the world in terms of Total GFA (Gross Floor Area) of 331,861 m² and was ranked second largest in the country.

On November 25, 2010, SM City North Edsa commemorated its 25th year as the first SM Supermall.

SM City North EDSA Complex

Since its inception in 1985, construction of the original Car Park Plaza in February 1988 and the second Annex Building in 1989, SM City North Edsa Complex’s edifice are composed of the City Center, Interior Zone including the Car Park Plaza, The Annex, The Block, the Sky Garden, the Northlink, the former Warehouse Club building including the open parking lot situated east of The Block and soon The Grass Residences are interconnected by a series of footbridges linked to different sides of its structures.

City Center (Main Building)

The City Center

Opened on November 25, 1985, the original building consisted of only three floors. Its original structure has reinvented itself through the years. Today, it is still undergoing transformation, now with four floors expanded in order to keep up with the demands. When completed it will draw attention to contemporary interiors with a fresh insignia, shipshape appearance, and instinctive daylight pouring in throughout spherical skylights. As the hub of the retail complex, the City Center has an extensive variety of retail establishments, including the mall's main anchors—the SM Department Store and the SM Supermarket. It is also the hub of leisure anchors like SM Foodcourt, an entertainment center, and a newly modernized eight cineplex that incorporate the country's second IMAX Theater. The main dining establishments of the City Center are situated on the second level, where they break through the frontage in a sequence of linear casements which overlook the Sky Garden.

Interior Zone (Annex 1)

The Car Park Plaza or Annex 1 was the first additional building built in February 1988. The original structure was a four-level parking lot. In the 2000s, two additional levels were constructed to accommodate more vehicles and to integrate the newly constructed The Block. The Car Park Plaza features the first outlet of the Cyberzone (which was later moved to The Annex building) and an additional 8,000 parking slots. The building is connected to the main mall with a footbridge located at the second floor. Today, the former Car Park and Cyberzone has been transformed into a lifestyle center, named Interior Zone, which opened in July 2009 and planned by Architects EAT (Australia), the 300 meter long lifestyle center is a one-stop shop for affable living furniture, houseware, decor, upholstery, wallpaper, tiles and lighting fixtures. The retail area consisting two diverse zones to give the area a distinctive look, surrounds pockets of open designed spaces—just like a huge living room. The objective is to produce a flowing passageway where people can congregate around exhibits and displays without feeling that they are walking from one shop to another. The preference of insignia and resources palettes for the internal design was intentionally selected to transform the Interior Zone into a fashionable and ageless structure. The mixture of lumber, marble, and sophisticated finishes joined by the open plan outset gives the whole area an indoor and outdoor result that is an indispensable module of Southeast Asian architecture.

The Annex (Annex 2)

The Annex

The original Annex building was built in July 1989 (formerly The SM City Annex), consisting of three floors, as an expansion to the City Center. It featured close to 200 shops and restaurants; aside from four additional movie houses it also catered a bingo hall, an amusement center and a bowling alley. The lower ground floor (or basement) also served as the former administration office of SM City North Edsa along with a few beauty clinics and a junior anchor, Hardware Workshop. A footbridge was constructed at the left side of the City Center to have an easy access to the mall. On February 8, 2007, the annex was closed and demolished as part of SM City North Edsa Complex's redevelopment plan. In December 2008 it reopened with high-end retails stores, specialty restaurants, a Cyberzone, a game arcade and a new bowling center. The 90,000 square meter annex building created a cutting edge mix of shopping and entertainment. Like The Block, the Annex has an exterior with undulating aqua marine ribbon consisting of perforated metal panels that give the facade a floating veil like appearance that create a lighter feel. The Annex has clean and modern interiors centered on a curvilinear atrium, which stretches its length. Daylight is provided through a series of circular glass cones that give interiors a light, airy feeling. The eastern end of The Annex that overlooks the park consists of monumental glass wall that creates a grand shop front from which the atrium, its scenic lifts, as well as various shops and restaurants can be seen from the park. This merges the indoor and outdoor experiences, integrating these two components of the mall. In June 2009, SM City North Edsa reopened its bowling center located at the lower ground floor.

The Block (Annex 3)

The Block

The Block was opened in July 2006, this upscale 76,405 square meter mall has five levels of high-end retail shops and specialty restaurants, four high-quality digital cinemas, and a 9,000 square meter SM Hypermarket at the ground level. The Block's architectural design is centered on a large oval countryard, which has become a premiere location for events and products launches. This is crisscrossed by multiple bridges on several levels and is lit through large circular skylights that bring natural daylight through the space. Bridge connections integrated The Block with the existing mall and carpark areas.

The North Link (Annex 4)

The North Link is a six-story building located between the City Center and Interior Zone, construction started in September 2009. This mixed-use structure was envisioned to accommodate different types of tenants with business-process outsourcing and private offices along with retail stores. Opened in July 2010, it also houses the warehouse and SCMC Administration Office. An open deck at the topmost part of the building is provided for private functions for the mall. As part of the concept of interconnectivity and accessibility, North Link is liked by a bridgeways to different parts of the complex. The use of curtain walls aims to give the feeling of openness to its users through the introduction of natural lighting and open planning. The structure was completed in a period of five months, from foundation to water tightness. This was achieved through a mix of old and new technologies, the use of utilized wall system allowed for the simultaneous installation of exterior walls and window panels while the floors were being completed.

Sky Garden

The Skygarden is a long, elevated curvilinear park, which offers much needed green space, not only for the mall, but also for the city as a whole. Opened in May 2009, it shielded all from the busy Edsa intersection, and serves as a living, organic link between the diverse components of the mall—The Block, the City Center and The Annex. Lifted from the road, like a floating green ribbon, this elevated garden softens the hard urban environment with lush land and waterscapes, while its organic form complements the new wavy cladding of the mall. Canopied walkways meander amid undulating lawns, ponds and trees, while tunnels with shops are sculpted out of the earth, giving visitors a new dimension to the traditional park experience. This roof garden has about 55 species of plants, grass and trees that grow on a special type of soil that offers a lightweight effect on the structure. It has a special type of drainage system that allows it to conserve water. The Skygarden's water features include two bubblers, a simulated river flowing at the center, and waterfalls at the end of the second floor, which was as a monumental screen onto which promotional montages can be projected, giving the park an added presence at the street level. One of Skygarden's attractions is the Sky Dome, which became a premiere entertainment destination for its events.

Warehouse

Located east of The Block, Warehouse building situated on a two-hectare lot within the SM City North Edsa Complex, houses the former Super Sale Club when the company discontinued the club brand in favor of hypermarket style stores. Sometime in 2008, it was leased to one of its junior anchor, the Ace Hardware that later moved to The Annex. Today, Kotse Network leases a portion of the Warehouse building. Part of the building was converted into a parking lot for its valet service. Meanwhile, expansion plans for the former Super Sale Club warehouse would potentially added another 30,000 to 50,000 square meters of gross floor area and the mixed-use structure will include a new mall servicing retail, commercial and business-process outsourcing module.

The Grass Residences

Another area for development inside the SM City North Edsa Complex is the 3.6-hectare Grass Residences. A three-tower residential-condominium building encompasses the complex, where the old military camp used to stand.

Mall Anchors

Main Anchors

• SM Department Store
• SM Supermarket
• SM Hypermarket
• SaveMore Market
• SM Cinemas (City Center and The Block)
• IMAX Theater
• SM Food Court
• SM Cyberzone
• Interior Zone
• Forever 21
• SM Bowling Center

Junior Anchors

• Toy Kingdom
• SM Appliance Center
• Ace Builders Center
• Our Home
• Surplus Shop
• Watsons
• Kultura Filipino

Incidents

• On September 26, 2009, the mall was not spared from Typhoon Ondoy. The entire lower ground floor was submerged in flood waters.
• On January 8, 2010, a portion of the glass sunroof at The Block collapsed and two people sustained minor injuries.
• On September 2, 2011, a supposed bank burglary attempt in one of BDO branches inside the SM City North Edsa’s The Block. Four men and two women were arrested.
• On September 13, 2011, a shooting incident happened at the lower ground floor of the mall, two people were killed.

Gallery

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  Old facade of The Block

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  Old facade of City Center

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  Retail shops at The Block

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  The Block Atrium

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  The former Entertainment Plaza (now a leisure area for kids)

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  Old City Center Atrium

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  Carpark Plaza (Now Interior Zone, formerly Cyberzone)

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  SM Hypermarket at The Block

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  Supermarket at the City Center

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  Appliance Center at The Block

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  City Center

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  The Annex

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  The Block

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  The main mall facade

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  New City Center Atrium

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  SM Department Store at the City Center

See also

• SM Prime Holdings
• SM City Sta. Mesa
• SM Mall of Asia
• SM Megamall
• SM City Olongapo

Bibliography

• Pocock, Emil (2007-01-10). "World's Largest Shopping Malls". American Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University: Shopping Mall Studies. Eastern Connecticut State University. Archived from the original on 2007-02-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20070213232310/http://www.easternct.edu/depts/amerst/MallsWorld.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-15. 

External links

• [1]. Official website.
• SM Prime Holdings. The official website of the parent company.
• SM Supermarket. The official website of SM Supermarket
• Worlds Largest Shopping Malls by Forbes Magazine

Preceded by First

1st SM Supermall 1985

Succeeded by SM City Santa Mesa