A new wing, a new chapter

Friends have been asking me about the new East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza and I always reply with much more enthusiasm than they usually expect. We talk, post, tweet about all the things we don’t like –– why would it be so wrong to talk (and with as much zeal) about the things we do like? It seems this is what our current collective state lacks: bouts of unapologetic fangirling. That I-don’t-like- anything charm only lasts for so long. There is just as much to like in the world as there is to hate –– you just have to know where to find it.

Going back to the Shang, it’s one of those places that has just always been there. I remember squeezing in movie time at Shang in between Math and Philo back when I was in college. It was our go- to mall because it was calm and smelled nice. It still is and it still does. See, it’s these little things that make all the difference.

A friend asked me about new restaurants that a friend visiting from Sydney might like. Of course I had to volunteer the usual suspects, plus the new selection of homegrown restaurants at East Wing. And then there are the stores –- huge spaces new finds and for brands we already love that are worth a visit.

“Have you seen the comfort rooms at East Wing?” another friend asked me, like she was asking about the latest hot topic on the rumor mill. And I said, “Yes!” I can only type one exclamation point because more than one would hurt my eyes, but I’m pretty sure, verbally, I used about three. Heaven’s in the details, a mangled idiom goes, and if a high ceiling isn’t a heavenly detail, I don’t know what is.

What I love about new destinations, one as vast and with as many corners as a mall, in especially, is how there’s so much to discover –– a particularly creamy new brand of ice cream, a travel accessories store with the cutest passport holders, or a hidden getaway on the topmost level for the stressed out and in need of exfoliation. The Shang is filled with all these happy little things waiting to be found, and with the new East Wing, a new generation of kids and adults can enjoy the well-loved destination anew.

Pushing the envelope

Now on its 22nd year, Shangri-La Plaza with its expansion – the new Shangri-La Plaza East Wing – is located inside the 8.6-hectare Shang Place estate together with Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, The St. Francis Shangri-La Place, and the soon to be completed One Shangri-La Place residential tower.

“The Shangri-La brand is something most people are familiar with, no matter what age. It speaks of good taste and luxury, which means the Shang experience is as good as you can get,” says Lala Fojas, executive vice president and general manager of Shangri-La Plaza.

“We have basically pushed the envelope to make the Shangri-La Plaza lifestyle experience a total pleasurable experience that appeals to your senses, to your heart, as well as to your soul.”

Architecturally trendsetting

The new Shangri-La Plaza East Wing features all the key elements the mall is known for: cutting-edge architecture, spacious interiors, and a pleasant ambience that houses a superior merchandise mix of pioneering retail and dining concepts.

This is of Shang’s heritage of delivering only world class architecture. For the East Wing, Shang collaborated with Mix Studio Works from Los Angeles and Palmer and Turner from Hong Kong as consulting architects, Casas + Architects as local architects and Hong Kong’s BTR as interior design consultant.

The architecture of the East Wing features a fritted glass and steel façade.

The shops have high ceilings and wide store front s , resulting in impressive windowdis plays. Overall, the hallways are warm and welcoming in every corner, with the design incorporating wood elements and glass for a balance in textures and tone.

 There are four street-level entrances to the East Wing, as well as three sets of escalators on most floors and four elevators in each floor, plus an exclusive elevator for the handicapped.

With the addition of a new two-level basement parking in the East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza now has 1,900 parking slots for mall guests.

The ongoing renovation of the Main Wing features a continuity with the East Wing’s design from façade to interiors. A seamless mix of shopping and dining The benchmark, of course, is what Shang offers its mall guests

in terms of shopping. In true Shangri-La tradition, the retail mix is topnotch in properly zoned areas. The East Wing’s offerings complement that of the Main Wing by also being categorized into themed zones.

Four levels of the East and Main wings are connected by retail bridge links on both ends, on which complementary stores are also located. So walking around Shang, you’ll notice that when you go from the Main Wing to the East Wing, you’re actually moving through a zone.

Lower Ground Level is Everyday Basics, which is all about casual dining and novel restaurant concepts, kitchen essentials and novelty shops. The highlight of the lower ground is its proximity to the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel and its street level entrances. This level features F&B concepts such as Maple, Wee Nam Kee, BreadTalk, Jamba Juice, Krispy Kreme, Gelatissimo, Cupcakes by Sonja, and Epicurious. Specialty shops like Me & U, Scribe Writing Essentials, D&K Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Works, Vom Fass, and Tie Me Up Buttercup further add excitement to the mix.

Right across the main entrances of the Main Wing, Level 1 of the East Wing, Classic Luxury, features luxury and high- end fashion and lifestyle brands such as Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Brooks Brothers, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Herve Leger, BCBG Max Azria, Paul & Shark, Baume & Mercier, Rolex, Panerai, Omega, IWC and Vertu. Also connected to this level is the North Wing, offering more dining options like UCC Park Café.

Timeless Indulgences at Mid-Level 2/3 continues the upscale fashion and lifestyle concept, tied in with indulgent global dining destinations with brands like Bric’s, Perry Ellis, Shu Uemura, Kiehl’s, Pandora, Superdry, Rado, T. Florencio, Aeropostale, Banana Republic, British India, CK Jeans, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Porsche Design, Topman, Art of Scent, Santoni, Samsonite Black, Dune, Technomarine, Bang & Olufsen, Gyukaku, PF Chang’s, TWG Tea, and Morelli’s Gelato, among others.

Meanwhile, a selection of high-street brands can be found at Urban Sophisticate at Level 4. As this zone connects to the Kids’ Zone at the Main Wing, the north retail bridge features kids and tween brands to complement the Main Wing’s merchandise mix for the younger market. As such, brands such as Justice, Elle, Guess Kids and Petit Bateau serve to ease the transition. Other exciting brands in this level are Mexx, Quiksilver, DC, Roxy, Bree, Clarks, Esprit, Elle Girl, Guess, Geleia, Geox, Rabeanco, G2000, La Senza, Stradivarius, Miss Selfridge, Muji, Charles & Keith, and Pedro.

Also in this zone are new must-try dining concepts from well-known chefs including Florabel Co for Corazon, Marvin Agustin for Balboa, CCA’s Davide Lombardi, and Roby Goco for Greenpastures.

Level 5’s Hip & Chic, which connects to the Main Wing’s Youth Zone, carries Shang’s younger and more casual fashion mix featuring edgier fashion and lifestyle concepts for young adults. Included in this zone’s roster of brands are Samuel & Kevin, Flight 001, Digital Walker, Bratpack, Complex, Crumpler, Michael Antonio, Penshoppe, Kashieca, Regatta, Shana, Tyler, Urbanize, Morellato, Toscow, LeBunny Bleu, and F&X. These brands are complemented by a community of restaurants featuring Continental and Asian cuisines and food specialties such as Akira, Ganso-Shabuway, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, The Strip Hollywood Steakhouse, 26th St. Bistro by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Zao, Kettle, Spatzle, Wicked and Royal Touch.

Finally, discover the East Wing’s highly exciting Leisure Haven at Level 6. Featuring the fashion finds for the active lifestyle, this zone offers trendy wardrobe essentials that are sporty and stylish. In this zone you can find brands such as Arena, Columbia, Le Coq Sportif, The North Face, G Force and Sneak Peek. Complementing the line-up for a more rounded lifestyle offering are The Spa, Gourdo’s, Regalong Pambahay, Bose, and Pismo Digital and dining destinations such as Zarzuela, Texas Roadhouse Grill, Johnny Rockets, Serenitea, Arya Persian Restaurant and Woo Galbi.

Hosting the best of arts and culture

The Shang has always supported arts and culture. It has been home to many foreign and local film festivals in Manila, screening award-winning films for the Filipino movie-going public. The mall also lines up monthly cultural performances with now two activity centers, the Grand Atrium in the Main Wing and the East Atrium in the East Wing. The East Atrium was designed with special acoustics by foreign consultants knowing that it would be a venue for musical performances on weekends.

Division manager for marketing of Shangri-La Plaza Marline Concio Dualan says, “We have further enhanced the Shang malling experience by gracefully mixing retail and culture.” The past months have seen memorable performances by some of the country’s best and world-class performers at the East Atrium. “People appreciate how the mall continues to craft a rich blend of offerings that effortlessly weave art and culture to the total Shang lifestyle experience.”

A new destination for the whole family

Whenever a place is described as “for the whole family,” I get the impression that it is boring, crowded and possibly lacking in anything interesting.

In the case of the Shang, being a destination for the entire family, people of all ages, make it all the more inviting. I always tell people who ask me about Shang’s new East Wing to go check it out themselves. As Lala Fojas puts it, “There’s so much to discover, experience, and indulge in endless pleasures at the Shang!”

Shang has been around long enough for you to understand what I mean when I say, the new East Wing is Shang all the way. That’s a good thing.

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For inquiries, contact 370-2500 loc. 597 or log on to www.shangrila-plaza. com. Add Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook: shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage.