BAGUIO CITY– SM City Baguio formally opened its Sky Terrace Baguio for residents and visitors wanting to see new attractions in the city amidst the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Sky Terrace Baguio is rich in picturesque views and pays tribute to the city and Benguet’s local culture and terrain.
The garden was zoned in a way where its major space exhibits the cultural heritage of Benguet and is also envisioned to cater to the different age groups with its diverse functional elements from playgrounds to performance stage to private seating areas and wide lawn turf for bigger groups interested to use the area for future gatherings.
Iconic to the Sky Terrace are the Palawan cherry trees to honor the Northern Blossoms in Atok, Benguet where the Japanese government gifted cherry blossom trees in celebration of its friendship with the province.
The Palawan cherry blossom trees were carefully nurtured for months before being transplanted to the garden at the top of the mall’s expansion and pay parking area and serves as the major design element s and ties in the details.
Once the trees blossoms in the coming months, the visitors and residents will experience a parade of pink and white flowers that will reminiscent of the famous cherry blossoms both in the foreign and local settings.
The Sky Terrace will also retell the Golden Deer Folk Tale of Ibaloy and its sculpture portraying deer in different scenes that will be made by local artists.
The sculptures aim to recite the folk tale that is also locally believed to be one of the origins of the Baguio name where the deer used to eat ‘bag-iw,’ the local term for moss.
Moreover, the design also relates to the ‘dap-ay’ in its internationally circular congregation spaces with seating spaces and are located in strategic points to accommodate small crowd of users.
The famous stones and pebbles are showcased in the Kennon stone finishes in the major spaces and planters, as well as in the transitioning floor design.
The rolling terrains of its mountains will be felt in the play of levels in the amphitheater area which offers a series of steps before going down to the terrace turf for sitting and performance viewing.
Lastly, the rivers of Benguet are translated in the fluid circulation within the garden, further highlighted by water features in its focal points.
More than paying tribute to the cultural heritage, Sky Terrace Baguio aspires to provide to provide a safe space for people and tourists to unwide and congregate when things are better.
The design took its course from well thought cultural elements and carefully implemented into declinate details.
The Sky Terrace Baguio envisions that may the Palawan cherry blossom trees bloom to resonate the resiliency and optimism of the Filipinos during the trying times similar to the existing crisis situation in the country. By Hent