Project Details
- Project: Mitsukoshi BGC in Metro Manila, Philippines
- Location: 8th Avenue corner 36th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Products: Patterned facade, stone elements, wood accents, and soft lighting
Description
Mitsukoshi BGC mall is the initial Philippine outlet of the Japanese retail brand Mitsukoshi situated in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in the center, Taguig, Metro Manila. Soft-launched on November 18, 2022, and grand opened on July 21, 2023. It is not a typical department store, but more of a lifestyle mall with a heavy emphasis on Japanese brands, that is meant to provide a carefully edited shopping and dining experience.
Unique Architecture & Design
The mall is a podium, a four-tower mixed-use complex that includes the Seasons Residences, and this means that it is part of a wider urban development. The design of its facade is based on the Japanese hemp-leaf pattern, developed by the Japanese architecture organization Torafu Architects together with artist Asao Tokolo.
Retail Concept & Tenant Mix
Contrary to the classical form of Mitsukoshi department store, Mitsukoshi BGC is offered as a shopping mall, which has approximately 120 tenants when it first opened. The orientation of the tenant mix places high emphasis on Japanese brands and the lifestyle experiences – displaying fashion, home products, specialty food, and dining experiences at a single location.
Strategic Positioning & Cultural Appeal
Mitsukoshi BGC’s entry into the Philippines reflects the introduction of Japanese-style shopping culture into the Manila metro region as the Japanese legacy retail outlet opens in the Philippines. The mall is located in BGC – one of the busiest business, lifestyle, and residential areas in Metro Manila, hence servicing a market of city professionals and international visitors.
