Landmark, Makati City, Philippines

The renovation of the 76,500-square-foot supermarket inside Landmark’s Manila department store had several challenges: One, it’s located on the basement level with no exposure to the outside. Two, the average ceiling height throughout the space is 11 feet. And three, work in the Philippines restricts the use of wood because of heavy deforestation in the area.

Yet a look at the transformation which took place here over nine months shows a strategic use of graphics and materials to create a modern, airy and easy-to-navigate space. “There’s lots of bang for what’s at the end of the aisle,” says Hugh Boyd, principal, Hugh A. Boyd Architects (Montclair, N.J.), including a wall of colored glass tiles in the wine department and decorative vertical accents, such as graphics applied on glass or strips of colored glass, in the meat and produce areas.

To create a sense of spaciousness, Boyd painted the ceilings black and hung a series of light-colored floating planes along with gypsum-reinforced fiberglass bowls.

“The design conveys a sense of quality,” says FRCH’s Barb Beeghly.

Hugh A. Boyd Architects, Montclair, N.J.