We’ve featured an SM mall and a Robinsons mall before and our next shopping mall is the tented SM City Baguio. In many respects, this is probably the first non-traditional SM Mall ever. It’s the first SM mall to not have air-conditioning (due to the cool Baguio air). It’s also the first SM mall to avoid the typical boxy feel of other SM malls by having balconies overlooking the city in every floor, and to feature a tent-like architecture that serves as the mall’s primary roofing. (It’s probably miserable in this mall during typhoons, because of the architecture.)
SM City Baguio opened in November 2003 and is located at the southwestern end of Baguio’s famous Session Road. The mall is on top of the highest hill in the immediate area and this give the mall-goers a majestic view of Baguio City. Burnham Park, Session Road, and the Baguio Cathedral are all easily seen from the mall’s balconies. And because of its high position, some people are saying that the mall disrupts the pine-lined Baguio City skyline.
You might say that the grandiose SM Mall of Asia has borrowed many architectural details from SM Baguio, like the open-air shops and halls.
Download KML file (for Google Earth)
9 people have responsed to “SM City Baguio”
Fifty years ago, Baguio is truly a paradise city. However, looking at it now, it is now over crowded, very filthy, polluted and totally very different from what it was envisioned it to be by Arch. Burnham (he designed the master plan for the city—he also designed some of America’s enduring architecture landmarks in Washington, Chicago, etc.). Just go down Session Road and you’ll see how filty Baguio is! Try to ride a jeepney going up Bokawkan Road, Kennon Road (near Camp 8), or Rimando Road (going to Aurora Hill) and you’ll chocked with smoke coming from the vehicles! Look at the mountains and you’ll see houses sprouting, instead of pine trees! Go check out the different rivers (especially the river that passes below Brookside Barangay) and you’ll see human wastes and garbage! Check out the unsightly buildings along General Luna Road and other structures sprouting along the city’s major thoroughfares! They are so ugly that they ruin the city’s beauty (is there still beauty to speak of?)! Check out the billboards that are blocking the city’s sky line! Check out the graffitis in the different waiting sheds! Slowly, Baguio is dying!!! It is a city filled with human filth!
@Jhun, well, I think Baguio is still a very fine place to visit. I don’t think it’s as bad as you paint it to be, especially compared to Metro Manila. The pollution is reversible and just ranting about how dirty Baguio is won’t help solve the problem.
baguio is still the cleanest city in the philippines, compared to other big urban centers. if you hate the city for all the changes it is undergoing now, you actually have two options, to stay and make a difference by being a responsible citizen, or, to leave it (and good luck, hope you’ll be able to find a place as nice and as clean as baguio here in the philippines). No matter what other people will say,baguio remains to be the unbeatable cleanest city in the country.
hey Jhun? are you from Baguio?
If you are not, shut up. You have no right to rant cause you are not from the city I call home. People like you are the reason why there’s filth and waste everywhere! You visit the vacation spot and act as though you’re of high class when in fact back in your own city, you are just plain old jologs!
If you are, shame on you. The last thing you could do is see and utterly display your disgust for your own hometown. I hope you’ve found a better city to live in and I hope it loves you back! Cause Baguio definitely wants people like you out!
…i left baguio for a greener pasture and for a better career opportunity..yes indeed i succedded for my plan BUT even if i’m in s clean and organized country outside the Philippines, my fondness to Baguio never dies instead it grow even stronger…i really loved Baguio..eventhough what Jhun stated is partly true (matter of fact) the love i have for Baguio is still there….and i definitely agree with lee that if you want BAguio to remain its cleanliness, we should participate or give contributions on how to make the city back to its good condition…
“The U.S. study also confirmed a previous environmental report by the World Bank that found Baguio as one of the most-polluted cities in the world, as it is the most polluted city in the Philippines.”
I have never been to baguio, but plan on moving there in 5 years.
hello everyone
Jed Madela is having a concert @ baguio city this december 12 (hopefully) …. if we can find a place for that date…..
pls pls help
any suggestions : venues ??????
pls email me at maritaenciso@yahoo.com
tnx
Yup, Baguio’s getting sadly dirty. I’m from down south and had climbed to Baguio twice and for me, it is still the Paradise here in our country. How I love Baguio!