SM Seaside City: A Mall Above All

Newly opened SM Seaside City Cebu is SM’s third largest mall in the country measuring 430,000 square meters in gross floor area and is one of the Philippines’ most picturesque, showcasing not just architectural excellence but also resilience in design.

Due to its proximity to the Mactan Channel, the mall draws marine inspiration from the “nautilus”. The sea creature’s unique shape and logarithmic pattern guided the building’s architectural shape and design. The nautilus, a spiral shell with pale, pearly chambers, is one of the finest examples of natural beauty and elegance.

Arquitectonica’s Peter Brannan, Managing Director for Asia says translating this design into mall features meant not only providing the usual retail, service and transport facilities. “It also has to act as the social hub, much like the marketplaces or town squares in the old, traditional communities,” Brannan said.

This prompted Arquitectonica to propose “community” features such as a landscaped roof deck that can act like a “Central Park” called the Sky Park.

View of the Sky Park atop SM Seaside City from an architect rendering

The design also includes a central courtyard with a 150-meter modern bell tower which can be the centerpiece of community events like fiestas or New Year Event countdowns. Add to this the “Cube” sculpture at the facade of the mall which is an anagram for “Cebu”, serving currently as one of the more popular “selfie” spots for shoppers and tourists. Nearby at the complex is the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod with a hundred walls, which has emerged as one of the City’s favorite wedding destinations.

Now in operation, the mall makes this communal spirit much more apparent. “We understand that Cebuanos have a very strong sense of community, so we wanted to make sure we gave them a venue in which they could celebrate this communal spirit,” Brannan said. The Sy family envisoned the 30-hectare SM Seaside City complex as a regional destination, bringing together local and foreign tourists from all walks of life mainly from the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

As a new lifestyle hub

As a new hub for lifestyle, SM Seaside City Cebu caters events in the millenial era happeing inside the vicinity of the mall; supporting Cebuano events in an up-scale manner to deliver the goods when it comes to high-end perspective.

SM Seaside City Cebu imbibes in the arts, culture, heritage, fashion, and community events which make it as a mall with events diversed in themes and happenings.

The mall supports Cebuano initiatives such as the motoring activity started and organized by local and national members of motoring clubs in Cebu and Manila; Tour de Cebu 2016, concludes a press conference this 23rd of September highlighting the sleek vintage sports car at the Sky Hall of SM Seaside City Cebu, 2:30PM and will start to hit the road for three days starting October 14 to 16, this year.