Shopping malls can be small just like strip malls or even a line of shops on a street but in a same building. Likewise, there are malls built like box-type or even architectural wonders. And there are malls that are fully air-conditioned( yeah, shops can be found inside the building) and with big open spaces inside that one can literally live there and spend his or her free time wandering around just window shopping or yet having a dine at a restaurant inside while watching people go about their ways.
Some of the biggest buildings in the world are filled with retail shops and entertainment centers. And these building are what we called as shopping malls. These malls are ultimate shopping, dining and entertainment centers.
And there are malls that are really big. If you want to know which malls that are the biggest and Largest in the world, then this list may be of good use to you:
| Mall | Location | Gross Leasable Area | Total Land Area | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South China Mall[30] | Dongguan, China | 600,000 m2 (6.46 million sq ft) | 890,000 m2(9.58 million sq ft) | |
| 2 | SM City North EDSA | Quezon City,Philippines | 460,000 m² (4.74 million sq ft) | It includes City Center Building, The Annex, The Block, Carpark Building and SkyGarden. Currently the Largest Mall in Asia after Golden Resources Mall, 2nd Largest Mall in the World and Largest Shopping Mall in Southeast Asia. | |
| 3 | Central World[31] | Bangkok, Thailand | 429,500 m² (4.62 million sq ft) | 550,000 m² (5.92 million sq ft) | Area of the full complex is 1,024,000 m² including two skyscrapers. |
| 4 | SM Mall of Asia | Pasay City,Philippines | 410,000 m² (4.67 million sq ft)[citation needed] | ||
| 5 | West Edmonton Mall | Edmonton, Canada | 350,000 m² (3.8 million sq ft) | 570,000 m² (6.0 million sq ft) | The largest mall in North America |
| 6 | Dream Mall | Kaohsiung City,Taiwan | 400,000 m² (4.5 million sq ft) | ||
| 7 | The Dubai Mall[32][33][34] | Dubai, UAE | 350,000 m² (3.77 million sq ft) | 1,124,000 m² (12.1 million sq ft) | |
| 8 | SM Megamall | Mandaluyong City,Philippines | 348,000 m² (3.75 million sq ft) | 420,000 m² (4.52 million sq ft) | |
| 9 | Berjaya Times Square[35] | Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia | 320,000 m² (3.44 million sq ft) | 700,000 m² (7.53 million sq ft) | |
| 10 | Beijing Mall | Beijing, China | 320,000 m² (3.44 million sq ft) | 440,000 m² (4.74 million sq ft) |
Above is the top 10 list of largest shopping malls in the world.
What should be known is that the list is based on gross leasable area.
The Dubai Mall should be considered the largest mall in the world based on total land area.
The SM City North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall are among the giant malls in the Philippines. The SM City North Edsa is even considered the second largest based on gross leasable area. However, when total land area is taken into consideration. It would be surpassed by Dubai Mall, New South China Mall, West Edmonton Mall, Central World Thailand and Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur, respectively.
There are other largest shopping malls in the world that are noteworthy and should be given recognition. Among these is Mall of America, which is the most visited shopping mall in the world and, if it is included in the list, is placed on the top 14th.
Siam Paragon in Thailand is the 11th largest mall in the world and is even larger than that of SM City North Edsa in total land area. The former has a total land area of 500,000 sq. m. while the latter has 460,000 sq. m.
Meanwhile, King of Prussia in Pennsylvania is the 13th largest in the world, the largest mall in USA and the second largest in North America.
The top 12th largest mall in the world is in the Philippines again. This time, it is just a few kilometer ride from my residence. SM City Cebu boasts itself as among the largest malls. It is really large. However, SM City Cebu rivals Ayala Center Cebu when it comes to aesthetics and attraction.
Some of the best and largest shopping malls in the world are just in my homestead and most of them are in Asia.
Note: The list is sourced at Wikipedia.com. circa 2009.
