A ‘tried and true’ Power Plant Mall Christmas

A ‘tried and true’ Power Plant Mall ChristmasPower Plant Mall goes back to the tried and true for #ChristmasAtRockwell 2016.

The mall at the Rockwell Center returns to its roots after a light-hearted turn wherein they celebrated the 2015 holiday season with giant Minions and hot air balloons.
During the November 9 unveiling of #Christmas- AtRockwell, shoppers said hello to a Power Plant Mall that was decked out in its classic yuletide look.
According to Mall Operations manager Ariel Ferrer, the team started preparing for the holidays in September, during which they worked on combining and customizing wreaths, pine cones and other elements.
The overall look and feel of the mall’s Christmas décor was the fruit of the labor and teamwork of the whole Rockwell Retail team, from the conceptualization and design led by the design team of architect Jacko Zialcita and Lester Almazan, to the day in-day out production team headed by Tenancy supervisor Engr. Marvin Aleido and Housekeeping supervisor Ariel Reynildo.
The Power Plant Mall Christmas décor team members gave their full effort and crafted everything with love especially for the shoppers who look forward to Christmas at Rockwell every year.

Of course, Nestor J. Padilla was a constant and supportive presence during the whole process. As with all of the company’s past projects, the Rockwell Land president crafted the overall vision and provided direction for #ChristmasAtRockwell.
Full circle
Power Plant Mall is an oasis with its understated décor“This year, it’s more on completing the overall Christmas décor themes since 2013. If you notice, we’re coming full circle little by little,” Ferrer says.

If 2015 was the Minions Christmas, 2014 was the year the mall went with amber and red fairy lights-wrapped columns and flat, leafy garlands for the concourse. The columns and light fixtures were ringed with wreaths but the arches were left unadorned.

Christmas 2013 was a time of muted celebration following the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda a month prior. This was reflected in Power Plant Mall’s toned down decorations—for probably the first time in its history, the concourse was devoid of ornaments.

Christmas 2011 was particularly memorable for its red “Sputnik” stars and strips of deconstructed wreaths that hung lengthwise from the concourse, with the walkways decorated only with fresh poinsettias.

Lush wreaths

This year, the mall went for fat, lush wreaths dotted with red, silver and gold Christmas balls in a plethora of sizes and textures. Meanwhile, the lighting is now predominantly white—and cool—instead of the past years’ amber.

“It makes one think of a palace,” says Ferrer, who is spending his sixth Christmas at Power Plant Mall. He joined the company as a shift engineer straight out of college in 2010 before moving on to become tenant engineer, assistant manager and, as of October 2016, Operations manager.

“It was extremely labor-intensive. Almost all parts of the mall were decorated—the columns, the arches. Jazzing up the concourse required our full manpower due to the heavy wreaths,” says the University of Santo Tomas alum.

Color scheme

The color scheme is echoed in the Christmas tree at the North Court, with white fairy lights giving one the impression of icicles.

Throughout the mall, the scent of pine pervades, heightening the cool, Christmassy feel. The sweet, sugary smells that occasionally escape from the candy store on the second floor add to the shoppers’ festive mood.

The animatronic camelids and reindeer from last year have been beefed up with new additions. Dogs of various breeds stand guard at the Archaeology Wing. Turning into another alcove, shoppers come face to face with tigers peering out of the foliage. Another corner reveals Instagram-ready polar bears and a trio of penguins.

“We have more animal setups this year to ensure that there are no ‘dead’ areas,” Ferrer points out.

Flame-red façade

At the South Court, the flame-red façade of the expanded Santa’s Workshop is a beacon calling out to kids who want a bit of face time with the jolly man in red; the spot also hosts fun workshops on selected weekends. Off to one side, at Santa’s Wishing Station, a little boy takes his place in front of a row of iMacs to fill up an electronic Christmas list.

Meanwhile, shoppers will have the rest of the season to dream about winning one of two Land Rover Discovery Sport S cars at stake in the Rockwell Christmas raffle. On the November 26-27 weekend, they doubled their chances of being the new owners of this cushy ride when two raffle stubs were given away for every minimum single-receipt purchase of P1,000 (from retail establishments in Rockwell residential towers), P2,000 (from Power Plant Mall stores) and P3,000 (from Marketplace by Rustan’s).

Completing the Power Plant Mall Christmas experience are the treats that kids and even parents have come to look forward to, including the Musical Christmas choral performances, the Baker’s Dozen fair, Christmas fireworks, Rockwell’s Holiday Gift Fair and workshops with Santa.

Asked what makes this year a Power Plant Mall Christmas aside from the aforementioned offerings, Ferrer says: “We have more activities, increased manpower to ensure our guests’ convenience and security, more Christmas setups.

“We always make it a point to appeal to our clients’ five senses and this Christmas is no different.”

The giant Christmas tree at the North Court