MOA Sky: SM’s rooftop revolution for urban leisure
On the jeepney headed to the SM Mall of Asia last week, there was a teenage girl in makeup wearing shorts and a glittery top. In full view of the other passengers, she proceeded to start a live video, announcing her plans for the afternoon to her followers—a free concert featuring alternative rock band Hale and other local artists. Turned out we were headed to the same event, the launch of MOA Sky.
Located on the roof-deck of one of the largest malls in Asia and one of the biggest worldwide, the MOA Sky with 55,000-sqm gross area is sprawling. To give one an idea of how big it is, there’s a full-sized, world-class football pitch located smack dab in the middle of the open-air space. It was inaugurated last week with a game by the Filipinas, the Philippine women’s national football team, with hundreds of sports fans cheering on the sides on stadium-style seating that can accommodate 1,800.
During the game, there was an ongoing concert at the MOA Sky Amphitheater attended by throngs of teens and mallgoers, including presumably my sparkling jeepney seatmate. Aside from concerts, the 3,200-sq m space can be used for open-air performances, fashion shows, and the like. The simultaneous screams of adulation at both events were the perfect way to kick off this new development designed to give SM customers more options when it comes to an immersive retail experience.
Game-changer
As president of SM Supermalls Steven Tan said in his opening speech, “The MOA Sky isn’t just an expansion; it’s an exciting transformation.” He then recalled how Hans Sy, SM Prime Holdings chair of the executive committee, set this game-changing transformation in motion more than a decade ago.
“Mr. Sy called for a meeting then and I distinctly remember him telling the team that more than just overseeing an expansion, we have to wow our customers. SM MOA is known as one of the biggest malls worldwide but we have to go beyond its size; we have to elevate the whole experience,” Tan said.
They appear to have accomplished that because, aside from the football field and amphitheater, MOA Sky includes several other facilities and points of interest. There’s the MOA Paw Park, described as “a haven for dogs” and which features specialized play zones and a dedicated party venue. For first-time visitors who might need help locating the place, just look for the 4-meter-high dog sculpture—one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals designed by Filipino-American artist Jefre, who was also present at the launch.
A few meters away from the football pitch is the MOA Sanctuary, a glass structure dotted with pocket gardens where one can say a prayer at any time of the day. The North and South Sky Plazas, meanwhile, are lively places perfect for picnics, fairs, or simply for unwinding. There is even a Toddler’s Playground as well as several cafes and pastry shops located on the third level.
While one can take a long, meandering stroll late in the afternoon to admire Manila’s famed sunsets, those who are so inclined can jog or speed walk on the kilometer-long fitness track that circles the perimeter.
“This is the future of entertainment and retail. And as we celebrate this milestone, we also reaffirm our commitment to sustainability with our 3-megawatt solar photovoltaic rooftop, which can feed a significant portion of the mall’s energy needs,” Tan said.
“With all these, we can now truly say that the sky’s the limit at SM MOA.”
MOA Sky is located on Level 4 of the SM Mall of Asia.
