Shangri-La Group opens One Galle Face

President Maithripala Sirisena and Shangri-La Group CEO Lim Beng Chee open One Galle Face along with other dignitaries 
Pic by Manoj Ratnayake 

Seven years after it broke ground, the much-anticipated One Galle Face (OGF) integrated project was officially opened yesterday by President Maithripala Sirisena and Shangri-La Group CEO Lim Beng Chee. 

The opening ceremony was attended by local dignitaries and industry leaders. The event also marks the first time OGF officially open its doors to welcome shoppers and tenants to the OGF Mall and OGF Tower.

One Galle Face is the Shangri-La group’s largest venture to date in South Asia and bears testament to the Shangri-La group’s confidence in Sri Lanka’s potential. OGF Mall and OGF Tower follow the opening of The Residences at One Galle Face and Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, earlier in 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

“Shangri-La was one of the first international hotel groups to invest significantly in Sri Lanka’s tourism and commercial sectors nine years ago. We couldn’t be prouder to add a new landmark in Colombo’s city centre. As an integrated lifestyle destination, One Galle Face brings to life a unique all-encompassing live, work, play and stay concept never experienced before in Sri Lanka.

“This is integrated living at its best and we are confident that the One Galle Face Mall and One Galle Face Tower will continue to set new standards in Colombo as well as across the country,” said Chee.

Earlier this year, Shangri-La organised one of Sri Lanka’s largest career fair with thousands of job opportunities available for home-grown talent to join the retail industry. OGF Mall is also be the first mall in Sri Lanka to feature an app-based loyalty programme, helping mall tenants build long-term relationships with their customers.

At  490,000 square feet, the equivalent of eight football pitches, OGF Mall is the largest international mall in Sri Lanka. The seven-storey Mall is home to more than 200 tenants – international as well as local brands. It also caters to every modern lifestyle need from dining, entertainment, beauty, technology and shopping.

Visitors can look forward to several new-to-market brands and concepts that are exclusive to OGF Mall. These include Shangri-La’s proprietary Adventure Zone, the largest immersive play space in Colombo for those aged two to 12 and Trainyard, an innovative, larger-than-life workout hotspot.

Movie goers can experience Sri Lanka’s largest cineplex operated by PVR Cinemas. The nine-screen multiplex includes the country’s first dedicated kids theatre. 

Other international brands making their debut in Sri Lanka at OGF Mall includes Crystal Jade, a Michelin-Star restaurant from Singapore and The Toy Store, a specialty toy store for kids.
Within the OGF mall, shoppers can also find flagship stores of luxury brands such as Omega, Rolex, Tissot, Longines, TAG Heuerand fashion brands including Diesel, Furla and Guess.
Other anchor tenants in OGF Mall include well-loved local brands such as Odel departmental store, which will feature several new-to-market cosmetics brands; Keells Supermarket and Food Studio, an international food hall. 

Shoppers who wish to experience Colombo’s famous Pettah Market within a convenient mall setting, can head over to High 5 – a one-stop indoor bazaar for everything Sri Lankan such as local crafts and trinkets, clothes and street food. 

Featuring one of Colombo’s most exclusive oceanfront addresses, the newly opened 32-storey OGF Tower offers more than 530,000 square feet of premium office space, providing its office tenants with the utmost convenience and connectivity. Guests and residents living and working in the mixed-use development will find everything within easy reach. It is a thriving ecosystem and a vibrant social hub connecting people and communities together.