Philippines: Bringing green space inside the mall
Lifescapes International, an architectural landscape company that’s responsible for outdoor displays such as the Rockefeller Center Promenade and the Bellagio water show, is testing the boundaries of indoor greenery in the Philippines.
Its work for Robinson’s Galleria, a new mall about to open within a 4 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use development in Cebu, includes leaf-ensconced support columns, a bubble wall, and a 25-ft.-high flower guitar. The idea, according to Lifescapes President, was to conjure up the feeling of an outdoor oasis within an enclosed center.
“Our strategy was to deliver an environment that visitors can get lost in and enjoy with friends and family time and time again,” said Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, noting that the big challenge was dealing with the high temperatures and humidity at the location, which also features lush gardens on every level of the center and in the parking lot.
With an eye toward keeping common area maintenance costs low for tenants, Lifescapes integrated artificial plants with the living ones. “Anything that can be touched by a shopper is real,” Brinkerhoff-Jacobs noted. “All the out-of-reach plants are made of artificial materials.”
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