Rough Groove

The new TriNoma mall

The TriNoma (Triangle North of Manila), another of the Ayala’s mall ventures, the newest mall in Metro Manila was a curiosity to me that’s why last Sunday, we intentionally went there to check it out for ourselves. Located just beside the MRT North Edsa station and just across the street from SM North Edsa, the behemoth of a building from the outside proved to be a disappointment inside. Once you go in, you immediately feel the tight spaces within the mall. The floor height is just too low that I just felt claustrophobic. It lacks the airiness of the the other Ayala malls like that in Glorietta or the Ayala Center in Cebu. The activity center seems just too small, dwarfed by those massive columns that dominate the center. Some sections are just dimly lit. Even if these areas still has to be filled out with stores, the way the lights are fixed along the hallways are just not bright enough.

While I was at first intrigued by the garden cum park at the rooftop upon gazing up with its few patches of greenery, I was again disappointed at how the ponds, with its faux steam (just imagine a hot spring) at the sides, being marred with lots of black pipes against a background of white tiles crisscrossing it. But those dwarf bamboos were beautiful.

Store space is also tight. We’ve entered a Nike sports shop and it was so cluttered and walk spaces are too close. Because of the low ceilings, you feel you’re boxed in. I just can’t help it. I have this impression that the mall was built not for the comfort and enjoyment of people but to maximize space for stores. The more, the better. I can’t also help comparing it with the Alabang Town Center. At first from the outside, you expect something new, something refreshing. But once you get past the food row and goes to see the activity center and the stores, you’re in for a big letdown at the, again, cramped spaces and generic look.

The TriNoma has really nothing new to offer. Its still the same generic mall look that we’ve become so familiar with. With lots of people, you’re more likely to get stressed with the sight of the horde of mall goers doing the usual rounds. Just the same stores and the same products and the same food and the same atmosphere. A big disappointment. I prefer to while away time at SM’s Mall of Asia than coming all the way from Makati and get all these bland sameness.