Upbeat design for the upscale Podium

Visitors of the newly opened Podium at the Ortigas Center will not only be amazed at its mix of up-market shops and restaurants, but by its world-class design.

A joint venture between SM Investments and Keppel Philippines Properties, Inc., this upscale mall is fast becoming a hotspot among executives and residents in the Ortigas Business center. The Podium has five levels and a floor area of 27,974 square meters. It has six basement levels for parking.

If one feels a sense of deja vu upon entering the Podium, it is because it is a creative collaboration between Pimentel Rodriguez Simbulan & Partners and Arquitectonica (ARQ), a US-based firm best known for the ability to design projects with memorable imagery and regional identity. The two groups worked closely with SM and the project team, which includes Aromin Sy & Associates, Structural Designer, and D. A. Abcede and Associates, Project manager.

As such, the mall’s design not only conveys a more up-market image, but is also functional, innovative, and memorable in its own right. Its design aesthetic is a careful composition of spaces, volumes, colors and light.

The Podium’s exteriors were designed to be eye-catching and inviting conveying both the excitement and variety of the retail interiors. Outdoor spaces for cafes, bars, and restaurants were provided to create a relaxed, al fresco atmosphere. Some of the restaurants in this area are Casa Armas, Pagliacci, Cafe Breton, UCC, and Starbucks.

The monumental archway with an intersecting glass canopy highlights the main entrance to the mall. This square glass and stainless steel arch changes character in the evenings so the interior face lights up, forming an illuminated gateway to the interiors.

The ground floor of The Podium is a grand, high entrance hall defined to be a long curve of shop fronts, which lead to the breathtaking central escalators. The interiors are light and airy, a mix of cove lights, marble-tile flooring, and stainless railings and claddings.

The second floor has a brightly-lit central atrium space with a skylight-simple grid curved into a roller coaster like wave. During daylight, it illuminates the performance area on the Second Floor.

The retail floors of The Podium each consist of two large oval courtyards interconnected by the central escalator node. Each of the courtyards is formed by a continuous curve of floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing a maximum view of the shop interiors. Paving and ceiling designs are minimal but striking – random pin lights form constellations against courtyard ceilings.

These design elements make shopping at the stores that have opened so far an exciting experience. Some of these include boutiques like Girbaud, Arrow, Braum Buffel; show stores like Lacoste Footwear, Nunn Bush, CmG, and Rockport; specialty stores like The Body Shop, Montre, Les Lunettes de Paris, Optical Works, G-Factory, and the Jigsaw Shop.

The Podium also has an impressive line-up of sports shops like Nike Park, Speedo, Arena, Fubu, And 1, and Bridgestone Golf. It also has trendy restos like Cafe Mediterranean Yaku, Mini Shabu-Shabu, Cheesecake Etc., Cinnabon, and Delifrance. The mall will have about 100 shops and food outlets when completed.

The design of The Podium is a simple but judicious composition of fluid lines and geometric volumes. It is a mix of playful randomness and functional necessity highlighted by a careful selection of materials and details. Add to that the mall’s music – a mix of classical and jazz – and barong – clad personnel – instead of the usual uniformed security guards – to greet you.

The Podium’s tag line, after all, is c’est la vie, and its interiors and shops exude the good life all the way. The Podium is located at 18 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.