Buildings inspired by exotic Mindanao plants to rise in Victoria Plaza complex
DAVAO CITY – A mix of “iconic” medium and high-rise buildings, inspired by some exotic and endemic plants of Mindanao, will rise within the 9.6hectare property of the Victoria Plaza mall complex, an official of the Hong Kong-based design company said.
Walter V. Melicor, chief financial officer of the Elements Habitare, said that the development would have five phases.
The Lim family, which operates the homegrown New City Commercial Corporation (NCCC), took over the mall management on Wednesday after announcing its acquisition on March 12 at an undisclosed amount.
He discussed that the first two phases would have five-star hotel, condominium, and serviced apartments; a twin-tower in phase 3; NCCC headquarters in phase 4; and four-story mall in phase 5.
The designs of the most iconic components of the 9.6-hectare development, such as twin-tower, NCCC corporate building, and mall took inspiration from the exotic plants of Mindanao, according to Melicor.
He said the design of the twin tower would be inspired by the pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant endemic to Mt. Hamiguitan, Davao Oriental province; the corporate building by the exotic mangosteen fruit; and the mall by the petals of the waling-waling plant endemic to Mindanao.
Melicor’s team designed some of the world’s iconic buildings, among them Marina Bay Sands of Singapore, Galaxy Macau, a casino resort in Macau, and Okada Manila, a luxury hotel casino in the Philippines.
Melicor said the Lim family would decide if it wants to retain the old structure of the mall, but added the current conceptual design might require a total demolition of the old structure to give way for the construction of the new mall.
He said the current structure might not support the proposed expansion of the mall.
“We are moving forward to the future. The sentimentality will always be there, in the place but not in the building. I think the building – we have to enhance and make it iconic building at par with the world,” he said.
But NCCC President Sharlene A. Lim assured the old mall building would be retained, and that it would only need a facelift.
She said the company plans to proceed with a phase-by-phase development of the old Victoria Plaza Mall as it did for its NCCC Mall in Maa before a massive fire destroyed it on December 23, 2017. The fire incident killed the mall’s key custodian and 37 call center agents of Survey Sampling International (SSI).
Lim added the company plans to develop dilapidated cinemas into a family entertainment center, where the restaurants located at the periphery of the mall’s parking space will be relocated.
The mall tenants, including ukayukay vendors, would be provided a space, she said.
She said NCCC Department Store and Supermarket would eventually take over the department and supermarket of the Victoria Plaza.
She said the Victoria Plaza has over 300 tenants at present.
Inaugurated on March 16, 1993, the Davao Sunrise Investment & Development Corporation of the Limso family previously managed the Victoria Plaza, a premier mall of the Dabawenyos in the 1990s.