It was
a rainy Sunday afternoon on the first weekend of July. The C5 going to
Bonifacio Global City was bit deserted from vehicles. And it was fun to drive
my car. Upon arriving at the BGC, traffic becomes more imminent. Our
destination was SM Aura Premier. A shopping mall by the SM Prime Holdings
located along McKinley Parkway and C5 Road corner 26th Street in the
BGC, Metro Manila.
SM Prime Holdings is the country's largest mall developer. SM Aura is
the 13th SM Supermall in Metro Manila
and 47th SM Prime mall in the Philippines. The shopping center is situated near
its rival mall Market! Market!, owned by Ayala Malls,
a real estate subsidiary of Ayala Land.
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| Botanical Garden, at background is the Chapel |
SM Aura name is derived from the two elements gold (which has the chemical
symbol Au)
and radium.
According to SM Prime putting them together defines “luxury and elegance that
emanates from within.”
 | |
| 250-seat Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod |
We went to the roof-top where the
botanical garden, the 1,000-seat Samsung Hall and the 250-seat Chapel of San
Pedro Calungsod are located. The mass at the chapel was about to start and we
while away at the botanical garden. As it was Sunday, the church was crowded
with churchgoers. We could not secure seats for us. And we decided to have a
dinner first at the food court in the fifth floor.
A view from the roof-top
The development of SM Aura Premier includes
the SkyPark, a multi-level green roof which apart from its
environmental advantages, also provides a much needed green and communal space
in Metro Manila’s dense cityscape. It contains al fresco bars &
restaurants at the fifth floor.
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| Skypark at night |
Aside from shops and F&B outlets,
the mall also includes its anchor tenants The SM Store and SM Supermarket, SMX
Convention Center, Food on Four, 2 regular Cinemas, 2 Director’s Club facilities and an IMAX Theater.
 | |
| Inside mall |
Designed by Miami-based architectural firm Arquitectonica, the structure will be a basic
“dumbbell” arrangement determined by the narrow site, with the main entry at
the north corner, and the office tower located at the southern end. The main
vehicular drop-off is provided on the western side, with taxi stations on the
first basement, accessed from the lower, eastern road.
