A new commercial center with planned hotel and transport terminal in Laguna province will bring locals and tourists closer to the comforts of urban life
Metro Central will be the first mixed-use commercial and hospitality development in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, a fast-growing business and tourism hub southeast of Metro Manila. The first phase of the project, the Laguna Metro Central Mall, is a three-storey retail complex with a bazaar area, a supermarket, a department store, and an activity center. The activity center will bring the community together for mini concerts and other public social events.
Right: Laguna Metro Central Mall Activity Center
Tourists travelling to popular destinations around Laguna, particularly Pagsanjan Falls, can stop over at the mall to unwind after a long road trip or buy essential items they left out from their packing list. Soon, these layovers could turn into stayovers. In the next phase of the project, the developer plans to build a bus terminal and a 60-bed business hotel that can accommodate locals and tourists alike.
Laguna Metro Central Mall will be a destination in and of itself. In contrast to the stand-alone malls around provincial neighborhoods, the new commercial center will have al fresco restaurants, outdoor boutiques, and pop-up shops open until late at night when the weather is much cooler.
A deep canopy shelters the wide terraces that stretch around every level of the mall. The concept will bring a nightlife scene unfamiliar in the municipality. The presence of activity visible from the street, both day and night, will contribute in making the area safer and more vibrant. The mall and the hotel will be built with lightweight autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks that are more durable, more fire-resistant, and more environmentally-friendly than traditional hollow blocks.
Right: Early schematic diagrams and volumetric studies
