ARCH 75

Non-Shopping Areas in
Shopping Malls
A Study on Mall Seating Areas
Keren Maxine Co
Prof. MLV Santos

I.

Rationale/ Background of the Problem

Shopping malls have become a significant part of the lives of many
Filipinos. No matter what social class they may belong to or age group,
they somehow have places to be in in malls and activities they can do.
Whether it is for shopping, eating, playing, just window shopping, or
enjoying the free air-conditioning, people frequently go malling. It has
been a common bonding activity for families, friends, and couples as well.
To add to this recreational aspect, malls also house shops and/or service
centers for running errands more conveniently.
Apart from the shift from the regular straightforward rectangle-shaped
floor plan layout of malls to more dynamic (and confusing to some) ones
and the scattering of stairs and escalators all over each level to keep the
shoppers from leaving quickly, some other things that have evolved from
the then typical schemes in malls are the provisions for seating and/or for
open areas, such as indoor activity areas where various activities may be
held, and open-air pocket gardens, which sort of resemble recreational
parks. This idea actually transforms the essential purpose of these
establishments which is to be a place for people to shop in; non-shopping
zones are now placed in shopping malls. This inconsistency in the concept
of shopping malls may actually even have a good effect, though, since it
would seem like these shopping malls are now more all-around, thus
attracting more patrons with the convenience they bring.

II.

Problem Statement
What are the implications of non-shopping seating areas on Metro Manila
malls?

III.

Delimitation
This research is primarily intended to compare five (5) malls in Metro
Manila which have noticeably different designs from each other and may
each cater to a different general market (which may or may not be
consciously targeted by these malls respective operators) and tell the
distinctions between each ones non-shopping areas. The pros and cons of

these spaces on the malls they are correspondingly in are to be observed

and taken note of, and they will then be compared based on different
criteria, such as, if any, which malls non-shopping area draws in more
potential customers, which one has the optimal number of seating
according to building codes (if any), which keeps more people interested
longer, and so on.
IV.

Definition of Terms
Non-shopping area
A non-shopping area is a space within the commercial vicinity of a
mall development where there are entertainment, relaxation, and/or
resting areas such as gardens and/or mini parks, adaptable activity
areas, and/or plainly just seating areas for its guests/customers. Nonshopping areas are usually open-plan and offer seating for people.
Non-shopping zones do not necessarily require the mall-goers to
purchase anything or pay entrance fees in order to access these areas to
lounge around.

V.

Importance of the Study

Undergoing studies like this one is relevant mainly because it is one
way through which particular problems in existing malls could be
pinpointed and be found solutions to. Since malls have become an integral
part of many Filipinos lives, it is helpful to find ways in developing them
more in order to address the needs of their users in the country. Analyzing
the pieces of information from this particular study would enable not just
mall architects to more efficiently and accurately design and/or assign
space allocations, but also other professionals who could directly or
indirectly be involved with the mall business and/or the customers who use
these mall facilities.

VI.

Objectives of the Study

The primary objective of this study is to observe how non-shopping
zones in a mall, such as open gardens, activity areas, and seating areas,
influence the rest of the mall. Also, a number of shopping malls in Metro

Manila would be closely observed to see whether or not their seating areas
are enough for the class of customers that would want to occupy these
areas at one time and whether the codes involving this, if any, still apply to
the present. An aim would also be to check whether the socioeconomic
class to which the majority of a certain malls frequent users belong has a
bearing on the size of non-shopping areas and vice versa.
This research aims to pinpoint the problems in existing shopping malls
around the Metro as well regarding these non-shopping spaces.
Consequently, these problems could be avoided in the construction of
future shopping establishments.
VII.

Review of Related Literature

One acceptable book resource to supplement this investigatory study is
International Shopping Center Architecture: Details, Concepts and
Projects by Ronald A. Altoon. Stating examples of malls everywhere as he
discusses the different components and concepts to be taken note of in the
architecture of shopping centers, Altoon goes through important guidelines
in designing them. He mentions that the presence or absence of amenities
in shopping centers, such as backed and backless benches, chairs, trash
receptacles, ash trays, drinking fountains, telephones and bicycle racks
may probably vary from place to place due to the bearing of the setting of
each mall, where they are located and what kind of culture these locations
have. Altoons work also talks about the job landscaping elements
contribute in malls non-shopping areas in order to contrast the actual
shopping structures. The need for flexible, easy-to-convert promotional
spaces (which may or may not have seating provisions) is also brought up
in the book. The open mini parks in malls are referred to in the book as
relaxation spaces and are described to be places which allow shoppers
to regain their energy and possible meeting places among some people. In
addition to the already mentioned spaces, social use areas in malls are
described to be amenities where people could freely interact with one
another and/or perform recreational activities such as ice skating, bowling,

etc. Play areas for children are also considered to be amenities not very
directly commercial and could be stayed in by mall-goers who come with
kids. Food courts are also tackled in the book by Altoon.
Joseph DeChiaras Time-Saver Standards for Building Types (on its
fourth edition as of the year 2001) has always been a reliable basis for
designing various building types, to which shopping malls are included.
The reference book presents design criteria for shopping malls, amenities
(which include resting areas) that are apparently required and not required,
illustrations of different mall layouts, how the outdoor community is
integrated into shopping centers nowadays through the designs deviating
from the usual solid mall structure without landscaping whatsoever, and
landscaping diagrams, among others. The book basically covers mall
construction, from site selection and the planning of spaces, to the detailed
designing of non-shopping zones.
Another helpful piece of literature for this research topic is the thesis of
then University of the Philippines Landscape Architecture undergraduate
Christine E. Talindong entitled An Urban Mall Park: A convergence
between outdoor and indoor landscape design in the Filipino mall
published in 2012. The comprehensive study talks about how the outdoors
is integrated into the indoor setting. It begins by introducing the Filipino
lifestyle with regards to leisure malling and how the then regular mall
building and its primary amenities have evolved into more complicated but
flexible spaces. With the use of pocket gardens, artificial landscaping, and
seating, among other elements, portions of malls are transformed into
indoor parks which are where a number of usual park-goers visit instead
because they are noticeably much safer and provide better atmosphere.
The Filipino habit of going to malls to stroll around while occasionally
window shopping and/or actually buying items, and to watch other people
for relaxation, is supplemented by resting areas, specifically indoor parks.
Although this indoor park provision is implemented, the author states that
there are still more shoppers who go to the malls to actually buy things
and/or run errands than mallers who are in the shopping malls for non-

shopping purposes, so there are still going to be bigger shopping areas than
non-shopping ones. After all, we are still talking about malls and not
public parks. Indoor parks are, in conclusion, incorporated into shopping
malls because of the mall-goers needs for more secured, cleaner, and
more convenient places to stay in when they want to take breaks in
between shopping or when they just want to relax.
The more comprehensive details of the cited works in this Literature
Review section are as follows below:
Altoon, R. A. (1996). International Shopping Center Architecture:
Details, Concepts and Projects. New York: Retail Reporting
Corp.
DeChiara, J. (2001). Time-Saver Standards for Building Types. New
York: McGraw-Hill.
Talindong, C. E. (2012). An Urban Mall Park: A convergence between
outdoor and indoor landscape design in the Filipino mall.
Quezon City: University of the Philippines College of
Architecture.
VIII.

Conceptual Framework

Observation of malls
Administration of surveys
Administration of interviews

Analysis and comparison of data gathered

Conclusion(s)

IX.

Methodology
The methodology process for this study would include assessing five
malls and taking down observations about what their plan layouts look like
and what facilities they have and comparing them to one another,
interviewing the mall operators and/or employees, and giving out surveys
to the mall-goers.
The five malls would include Manila malls Isetann Mall in Recto and
Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Quezon City malls SM North EDSA
and TriNoma, and the Greenbelt Malls in Makati. They were chosen based
on a number of factors, mainly including the differences in the kind of
customers that generaally go to them, in their designs, and in their
locations.
Obtaining floor plans for each mall if possible would make the task of
locating the non-shopping areas, especially the ones with provisions for
seating, easier and in a more accurate manner. The farthest distance from a
shop to a non-shopping zone where there is seating would also be taken
down to find out just how far the extent of this distance could reach
without compromising the comfort of the mall-goers and their need to take
breaks in between shopping..
For this research, some of the important things to observe in the
mentioned shopping malls include, but are not limited to, the location of
their non-shopping areas, the number of mall-goers, their activities, the
number who stay in non-shopping areas if any, the capacity of these nonshopping areas and whether they are enough for peak times where there
are most mall-goers in them, etc.
The interviews for the mall operators and/or employees would include
asking them about the malls they are working in, focusing on the nonshopping areas in which people could lounge around during which
times of the week and the day most of the customers are there, whether
they think those non-shopping areas and their sizes are enough, if they are

actually a necessity in those malls, and what else they think are lacking in
those malls, among other related concerns that could be asked possibly.
The survey questionnaires will not just be given out to some of the
individuals already staying in the non-shopping zones at the time but also
to some of the mall guests strolling around the malls so as to be able to
note whether there are mall-goers who do not stop over at seating areas as
well, disregarding presuppositions that all mall-goers in fact stay in nonshopping seating areas in the first place. The questionnaire would include
questions about the gender and age brackets they belong to, how often they
go to malls and how long they stay for on average, what they usually
spend their time on doing in malls, what they think these existing malls
lack as of the moment, whether they go to non-shopping areas and how
often if so, whether they think having these areas in malls is an
indispensable feature, whether they think the number and/or sizes of the
existing ones (for seating) is enough.