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Gateway Mall Wins in International Design Competition

Gateway Mall, the country’s upscale lifestyle destination right in the heart of the metro, proves that it is definitely a mall like no other as it recently garnered the merit award in the 2006 International Design and Development Awards sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The International Design and Development Awards recognizes excellence and sets the standard for the best and brightest retail and redevelopment projects around the globe. Gateway Mall has been chosen for its innovations in mall design and amenities, serving as the catalyst for the renaissance of the urban district that is the Araneta Center. Winners were announced last November 30, 2006 at the Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona during the ICSC Centerbuild Conference.

The International Council of Shopping Centers is the trade association of the shopping center industry. With more than 54,000 shopping center professionals as members in 96 countries worldwide, ICSC provides a wide array of services for the industry, supplemented by trade publications and research. This year’s jury for the International Design and Development Awards is composed of ICSC members who are industry leaders from retail, architecture, financial investment, consulting, and development.

As the only mall directly connected to the Araneta Coliseum, home of the biggest sporting and entertainment events, Gateway Mall’s unique design features include The Pavilion, the mall’s grand ceremonial entrance with intricate metalwork celebrating the motifs and colors of the Philippine fiesta. Bright shopfronts and hallways offer uncluttered displays for discriminating shoppers, showcasing a myriad of top international retail brands and dining establishments. Elevated walkways link the mall to the two major mass transit lines, the MRT-3 and LRT-2, offering convenience in a mobile lifestyle. The Gateway Cineplex features a cinema lobby skylight, providing cinemagoers a taste of Hollywood. A haven for weary shoppers await at The Oasis. Known as the only floating garden in a mall, The Oasis is operated by the Mandarin Oriental Café and Deli, and showcases a variety of exotic flora in a lush tropical setting. All these amenities and an improved streetscape reflecting Araneta Center’s grand redevelopment plan led to Gateway Mall’s recognition as one of the most tastefully-designed malls in the world.

Gateway Mall brings honor and a sense of pride not only to its immediate community, but to the whole country as it sets the benchmark in developing new urban lifestyle centers.

Gateway Mall: Innovation by Design

Original Master Plan:
Sudhakar Thakurdesai AIA and RTKL International, Ltd. LA, California, USA.
Shopping Center Management & Retail Consultant:
Robert S. Solomon S.C.S.M.
Cinema Consultant:
Cinema Works Ltd., United Kingdom
Owner/Mgt Co/ Dev’t Co/ Leasing:
Araneta Center, Inc. Design Architect:
Sudhakar Thakurdesai, AIA

Production (Technical Team): Julie I. Castro of ACI Plans & Design Graphic Designer: Dudrow Design, USA
Lighting Designer: Emerald Systems Consultants
Landscape Architect: PDAA Partners Landscape Architects
General Contractor: C-E Construction Corporation