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SM Laoag and the Architectural Proof That Filipinos Deserve Better Design
For decades, the standard SM mall design was a functional, air-conditioned box—efficient, pervasive, but largely without context. In the historic, sand-dune-framed city of Laoag, that formula has been decisively reimagined. Royal Pineda + designed SM Laoag as a proof of concept that true, high-quality, place-specific architecture is possible even under the stringent budget and commercial demands of the Philippines’ largest retailer.
The firm achieved this by shunning the predictable colonial narrative. Instead, it anchored the structure to the Ilocos Norte’s most ancient aesthetics: the movement of the river, the shimmer of the talahib flowers, and the city’s name itself, which means light. This is a project that argues for a powerful, new commercial architecture in the Philippines—one where design acts as a tool for nation building by uplifting the people’s spirit and celebrating their local identity.
Breaking the Template
Before Royal Pineda + began their design of SM Laoag, they had to confront a fundamental truth about the retailer’s existing paradigm: the corporate standard, while commercially sound, was inherently diluting the unique identities of the places it entered. The problem was not just architectural, but philosophical.
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As the architects themselves observed, the rapid expansion of standardized retail spaces risks erasing the character of a city. They likened the national roll-out of generic mall boxes to a puzzle where, if all the pieces become white, the overall image disappears. The initial conversations with the SM Engineering Design and Development (EDD) team were crucial, addressing the core business principle that often underpins commercial expansion.
“The question was, “So architect, if you’re if you’re gonna present to them nature, Di ba, meron na sila niyan [Don’t they already have that]?…” Pineda shares. “They already take it for granted. So we have to come in with a fresher lens.”
The agenda of the architects became clear: to convince the client that magnifying a region’s micro-identity would not compromise commercial viability—it would enhance it. The goal was to prove that better design, one that respects the local, could be integrated seamlessly with the commercial objectives, effectively transforming the mall into an act of nation building.
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Deciphering Ancient Aesthetics
The first strategic move by Royal Pineda + was to determine the true, authentic root of Ilocano identity. This involved a deliberate bypass of the well-trodden Spanish colonial era, which the architect felt was not the authentic self of the Filipino people. Instead, the firm looked towards the primordial landscape—the most ancient aesthetics of Laoag.
Among the key concepts behind SM Laoag is rooted in the name of the city itself: Laoag, derived from the Ilocano word lawag, meaning light. This became the central design tenet, driving the philosophy of permeability and the desire for maliwalas (a bright, airy, and expansive quality) in the architecture. “I never believed that our authentic self is the Spanish time,” Pineda asserts. “I always anchor myself to the maliwalas.”
More critically, the architects found inspiration in the region’s geological landmarks , specifically the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. The clean, undulating lines and powerful, wave-carved contours of this natural landmark were directly abstracted and mirrored in the mall’s exterior massing, grounding the building both conceptually and physically to the Ilocos Norte coast. This also led them to the vast and powerful nature of the site itself. The river and the surrounding wetlands are covered in the majestic, shimmering talahib flowers. All these elements provided the palette and the geometry.
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The architecture, therefore, became an abstract expression of the region’s raw beauty: the soft beige colors of the sand dunes, the subtle greens of the river-adjacent foliage, and the dramatic, eroded forms of the river stones. “I don’t have to invent,” Pineda declares. “I just have to decipher the ancient aesthetics.”
Elegant, Low-Tech Solutions
The quest for maliwalas manifested structurally through the implementation of a strong, central axis that extends from the interior of the mall out to the adjacent river and park. This axis, critical for achieving permeability, allows for a visual and physical flow that is dynamic and moving, mirroring the natural movement of the river and the sea wind.
Furthermore, the axis creates an intentional placement of the atrium to function as the city’s namesake. The architecture ensures that it celebrates light, transforming the journey through the mall into a narrative about Laoag itself. “The idea was, can we make you see that micro identity is,” Pineda shares. “Something that will not that will not affect or bring down the commercial value of your projects. In fact… it might even improve it.”
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Another demonstration of the firm’s ability to merge superior design with commercial practicality is the adoption of the chamfered bulkheads throughout the interior circulation spaces. In typical SM mall construction, hallways are lined by flat; solid blockheads that serve as fire barriers and delineate tenant spaces. This often results in dark corridors and a segmented visual experience. For SM Laoag, Pineda introduced a subtle but radical change by chamfering, or bevelling, the corners of these bulkheads.
This seemingly simple design adjustment—which actually lowers construction cost by saving on materials—achieves two high-value goals simultaneously. Chamfers effectively amplify light entering from the atrium or other apertures to travel deeper into the hallways. The angled cut also widens the sightline between the upper and lower floors and between the shoppers and the storefronts. Subtle, almost invisible, improvements like these aligns with the Filipino sensibility of being visually connected even within a large public space.
“It’s a very elegant, low tech solution, right?” Pineda asks. “For me, it’s basic, actually, to the point that I’m saying it’s common sense… And even deeper, I would say it’s ancient.” This element proves that architectural sophistication is not contingent upon extravagant budgets, but on the fundamental principle of building “good bones.”
Micro-Identity in Detailed Abstraction
The firm’s approach of drawing from local context extends into the interior elements, but always through the lens of curated abstraction, avoiding overt or clumsy vernacular replication. While the concept of lawag (light) drives the overall design, its most concentrated expression is found in the central atrium, the clearing that serves as the mall’s figurative heart. Here, Pineda took the standard SM skylight—a necessary feature for illuminating the vast commercial space—and elevated it from mere function to a significant contextual element.
The expansive glass ceiling is meticulously patterned structure that pays homage to one of the region’s most iconic artistic traditions: the Ilocano binakol weave. While the traditional binakol features an optical illusion meant to ward off bad spirits, Royal Pineda + translated its geometric, checkered structure into a modernized, pixelated glass pattern. This application ensures the light entering the atrium is visually filtered and given depth, mimicking the texture of the famous textile.
By doing so, the architecture transforms a corporate standard into a piece of local cultural commentary. It becomes an example of how even the most essential, budget-driven elements can be utilized to affirm micro-identity, proving that design that is both commercially viable and deeply contextual is possible. The atrium does not just bring in the light of Laoag; it filters it through the refined lens of Ilocano craft.
Laoag and the Ilocos region are also famous for their robust agricultural products, particularly the pungent Ilocos garlic, or bawang. This humble, essential commodity is transformed into a spectacular design focal point in the chandeliers.
Instead of a rustic, literal hanging of garlic bulbs, the chandeliers are more sculptural and organic installations. Made of curved, layered petals of semi-translucent, parchment-like material, the fixtures diffuse soft lighting throughout the building. The intention was to tickle the minds of the locals and elevate their everyday culture into a topic of architectural discussion.
The concept directly aligned with the firm’s broader approach to SM Laoag: to make the ordinary extraordinary. Pineda noted that by translating a staple like garlic into a tasteful, abstract fixture, the architecture successfully initiates public dialogue. The result is a shift in local engagement, compelling visitors to think critically: “They start to talk about aesthetic,” he muses.
The large-scale patterns across the mall’s ceilings and floors are not arbitrary. They are direct interpretations of the sand dunes and the dramatic forms of the river rocks found along the water’s edge. These patterns introduce movement and texture that subtly ground the space in the raw energy of the Ilocos terrain. The interior palette follows suit, utilizing the sophisticated greens of the talahib instead of common, bright shades.
SM Laoag: Reimagining Filipino Commercial Design
SM Laoag represents a critical pivot point in Philippine commercial architecture. By working within the existing corporate framework and budget, Royal Pineda + demonstrated that the commercial giants of the country can and should take an active role in uplifting the people through architecture.
The project instigated a high-level alignment with the SM team, moving the conversation from mere adherence to corporate standards to shared vision. “The vision is to bring our standards together with [their] standards,” Pineda states. He emphasized that the consultancy’s purpose was precisely to challenge the status quo, stating that following existing standards would preclude the opportunity for meaningful change and progress in design.
The success of SM Laoag is that it made the locals proud, transforming the typical mall trip into an experience that reinforces their own identity and cultural richness. It established a precedent for a new form of “practical luxury” in regional development—one where design serves as a powerful instrument to build a stronger sense of local pride and Filipino identity. Royal Pineda + proves that truly great, contextual design can be a commercial and cultural imperative.
Images courtesy of Royal Pineda +
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