My trip, together with my friends, to Mandaue City hoping to find a building having an exquisite architecture and worth admiring was not really comfy for the temperature was at its peak. It was severely hot! Because of the weather, I and my company decided to go to Parkmall to ease the uneasiness we had from all the walking under the sun. It my third time to go to the said mall and it was at that time that I truly admired how beautiful it really was.
Parkmall is now an option for the people in Cebu on where they prefer to hang-out to. Instead of walking along the buzzling streets of colon, the ever populated Ayala or SM malls, Parkmall is now around to be a new alternative place to go to. It is located at Ouano Avenue, Mandaue Reclamation Area, Mandaue City, Cebu, just across the street of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). It is near Cebu Doctors University and just a 5 to 10 minute ride away from SM City Cebu. Before it became a mall, it was an abandoned warehouse. The mall features exquisite architectural designs which are modern and appears similar to that of the Ayala Center Cebu’s architectural design of the Terraces. The mall offers a variety of choices whether an individual wants to go shopping, dining or does other recreational activities. Though, Parkmall does not offer everything since it does not have a cinema or a theatre unlike the other malls.
As defined by wikipedia.com, a mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version of the traditional marketplace.
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| Parkmall's parking lot |
From the outside of Parkmall, one could see how beautiful the landscapes of the place are. It features Japanese inspired mini gardens. It’s pretty much soothing for the eyes seeing the green grasses and finely trimmed bushes around the parking lot. The vast spaced parking lot lightens up because of the touch of nature that is present around it. A mini playground was also made in the area for the kids to play to. By looking at the mall, one could tell just how relevant the name of the mall is with how the mall appears like. It isn’t just a mall, but a park as well.
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| Japanese inspired mini garden |
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| heat resistant roof |
The building was well designed. Among the parts of the building which I do think would make a person look up would be the roof. The roof was like the water draping from a waterfall— escalated. It was arranged as if it were a ladder. It was composed of panels stacked end of one to the end of the other. In addition, the entire roof of the building was created with a heat resistant insulation material which in effect helps the mall save tons of refrigeration. The design was pretty wise to have use such a material for them to save up electricity. This part of the building was unique among the buildings that I have seen my entire life.
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| the fish fountain located near the main entrance |
Another part on the outside of Parkmall that got my attention as well was a statue of a fish which was in a man-made mini pool. The circular pool was actually a fountain. It’s one of the features that makes the outside of the mall truly like a park. The fountain is located just outside the main entrance of the mall and served as the junction point as to where the cars would make their turn if they would be dropping off their passenger to the main entrance, or turn upon leaving. What I liked about this area is not solely the fountain itself, but the cylindrical form of structure over the fountain. How it was built was pretty cool. It carried the name of the mall (which is Parkmall).
The way Parkmall looks gives you a simple glimpse of the surprises it has installed both inside and outside. The mall’s tagline “Where excitement never ends” even suggests how great the place could be for leisure. The place features an Al Fresco where people get to choose among a number of restaurants serving a variety of world cuisines which are available in the outdoor venue of the mall. But if one seems to be in a tight budget, he/she doesn’t need to worry for inside the mall are a few stalls which provide treats in a much cheaper price. Inside the mall, Home Zone and Tech Depot are available. At these areas of the mall, one could find and buy the different home appliances and the latest gadgets there are. The appliances would suit the taste of an individual in regard to urban living. Kids Zone and The Plaza are available as well. At Kids Zone, one could enjoy playing at the arcade. Parents could treat their children by buying toys for them and could as well bond with their children while at the arcade. And at The Plaza, one could choose and buy from a variety of items there are on sale. The plaza appears like the stores in the downtown area. A number of boutiques and shops are available all around the mall which could provide the wants and needs of an individual. The mall also has a department store and a grocery or a supermarket. The department store provides a wide range of choices with certain products. The grocery store on the other hand provides shoppers with the fresh ingredients they need for cooking as well as stocks of food for future consumption.
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| the man-made tree in the Atrium |
What I liked the most inside the mall was the Atrium. I got so amazed by what they made in this area—a man-made forest sort of thing. The huge man-made orange-leaved tree catches the attention out of everyone at their first glance. The tree as well as the other plants there was made into a pond. It was rectangular in shape and quite has gallons of water to it. A few coins could also be seen in the bottom of the pool. Some people may have thought of it as a wishing or so. The idea seems to be bringing nature indoor. A sky light was also used which enhanced the illumination in the place giving a blend of natural light provided by the sun. Sitting around the area relaxes and calms your mind given by the great ambiance the area offers.
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| the indoor man-made swamp |
I really wanted to interview the people who got to work in the building of this piece of art; the engineers and the architects who pioneered the building of Parkmall. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do so. I felt interested about where they got the idea of such a design. The building truly has something to boast of when it comes to its architecture and cleanliness.
The whole architecture of Parkmall is really good. It pretty much balanced the natural from the unnatural. The whole architectural design is modern and very well thought off. It did not just show nature outside the mall, but inside as well. The design brought life inside the mall especially in the Atrium. The whole function of Parkmall is more of shopping and dining only.Bibliography:
Cebu Islands Hotel. Online, Internet. Available URL:
Parkmall. Online, Internet. Available URL:
