Alabang Town Center Environmental Graphics

Before I was commissioned to do the Alabang Town Center (ATC) Entertainment Area design, the first job was to design and create the environmental graphics for the mall.

I remember I knew what I wanted to do with ATC. I wanted to create a "Filipino" mall - a real classy, sophisticated "Filipino" mall we could call our own. ATC already had somewhat a "Spanish / Mediterranean" architecture which I thought could work with the Filipino concept.

At first client was not so crazy about placing "jeepney" images in their upscale mall but once we made a prototype (we made a mall directory), they knew exactly what I wanted to do and they gave me a go ahead.

Thus when you go to Alabang Town Center - you will be able to see kalesas, jeepneys decorating mall posts. The restroom is called a "banyo" with male and female icons in a barong and baro't saya. A certain part of the mall has icons of a Filipino market or "palengke".

A truly classy and sophisticated Filipino mall! :-)

Alabang Town Center Entertainment Center

Not a lot of graphic designers / artists / illustrators design spaces and I think that is precisely why I LOVE doing it.

Alabang Town Center (ATC) Entertainment Center will always be one of my favorite projects. The dream team was a joy to work with - Belen Javier, Carina Go and the rest were amazing. Everyone wanted the BEST (at the lowest cost), and I think that is why we got along so well.

The job was to make a new look for a very old building - at minimum budget. At first I thought of a Metropolitan Museum / turn of the century look (to go along with the Spanish / Filipino architecture of the rest of the mall) but they client wanted something modern and contemporary - I understood why.

We designed everything - graphics, layout, facade, store guidelines, ceilings, floorings (our motto - "God is in the details") - there was a time I myself would be painting murals (I remember a security guard recognizing me as a TV host and wondering what I was doing painting a mural at the job site late late at night). People have preconceived notions of what TV people are - but then again I'm was really never a TV person.

I really liked ATC and the whole experience of creating it. I miss the people and ATC will always be special to me.