How Robinsons Galleria started it all

MANILA, Philippines - If one were to review archival pictures of the Edsa-Ortigas Avenue area dating back to the late 1980s, one might be hard-pressed to reconcile the images of tracts of undeveloped land to the vibrant hub of commerce and leisure that has since become of that area.

That remarkable transformation can be traced to one source: Robinsons Galleria, the five-level shopping mall which the much-admired taipan John Gokongwei, founder and now chairman emeritus of JG Summit Holdings, built on a historic tract of land at the corner of Edsa and Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City.

Opening its doors in 1990, Robinsons Galleria — a beautifully designed shopping and leisure haven with an expansive central atrium, high ceilings and winding avenues that invite leisurely exploration—became the home of established local and foreign retail brands, quick-service dining establishments, banking institutions, and what were then six state-of-the-art theaters. Offering a wealth of leisure options to the general public, it became the destination of choice for families and individuals living in San Juan, Pasig City, Quezon City and Mandaluyong City. Needless to say, the vibrant commercial activity spurred by the mall stimulated the rapid development of Ortigas as the country’s most important commercial and business district after Makati.

Since then, and being not one to rest on its laurels, Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the JG Summit Holdings subsidiary that is behind Robinsons Malls, has also given its flagship mall several major makeovers, adding two wings to not only address demand for additional retail space but also make the mall experience even more memorable to consumers. Even more notable is RLC’s redevelopment of the area on which the mall stands, adding towers for business (Galleria Corporate Center and Robinsons-Equitable Tower), leisure (the hotels Holiday Inn Galleria Manila and Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila) and residences (Galleria Regency).

Indeed, the changes that RLC made to Robinsons Galleria since its opening in 1990 not only redefined the mall experience for consumers but also changed the face of real estate development in the country, as it pioneered the concept of a mixed-use complex in the country.

Now, two decades after it forever changed the Ortigas Center landscape, Robinsons Galleria will again be undergoing yet another transformation from which a new and even more exciting shopping and leisure experience will emerge.

The massive redevelopment, which is scheduled to be completed in time for the busy holiday season, will give Robinsons Galleria a sleek and slick new look, with modern design elements and embellishments that will appeal to the mall’s burgeoning market of young professionals. Equally substantial will be the upgrading of existing facilities and the re-zoning of the entire mall that will not only bring in exciting new retail brands but also give consumers an even more pleasurable shopping experience, with new specialty zones such as “MyDomain” and “Sports Loop” — in addition to the already existing kids-oriented “Jumpstreet” and the wellness-themed “Body Senses” — destined to become major destinations within the mall.

Still, the most highly anticipated feature in the redevelopment of Robinsons Galleria will be Veranda, which will emerge from a chunk of the Level 2 retail space fronting Ortigas Avenue extending all the way to the deck parking space. Here, the re-imagined space will be a beautifully landscaped hub of specialty restaurants, cafes and bars that will continue to operate even after the main mall has closed for business for the day, servicing not only the patrons of the late-night screenings at the new-and-improved Robinsons Movieworld but also families and professionals on a late night out.

“As the pioneering destination mall in Ortigas Center, it is only fitting that we enter our third decade with a Robinsons Galleria that is unlike anything the public has experienced in the mall before,” says Nilo Mapa, general manager of Robinsons Malls.

Fitting, indeed. After all, Robinsons Galleria is the mall that started it all.