Greenbelt (shopping mall)
Greenbelt, also known as Greenbelt by Ayala Malls, is a shopping mall located at Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. It opened in 1988 after merging existing structures and is one of the Ayala Corporation's flagship projects. The mall offers a mix of high-end retail shops, restaurants, amenities, leisure and entertainment. Currently, the mall has five sections: two enclosed areas, two buildings with open-air shopping areas, and Greenbelt 5, which was opened in 2007.
History
Origin
The origin of Greenbelt could be traced to the 1970s as an open-space park also known as Greenbelt Junction, which had an aviary and was surrounded by low-rise structures featuring various dining establishments. The park underwent renovations, followed by the inauguration of the Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel on the park in 1983 and the decommissioning of the aviary later that decade.In 1982, Greenbelt Square, a three-story Brutalist building containing cinemas and retail spaces, was inaugurated. It was designed by Leandro Locsin, who would later be named as a National Artist for Architecture. Structures that were later added are:
- Fair Center, a three-story department store opened in 1983, later known as Shop & Lift Plaza;
- Greenbelt Arcade, a two-story shopping arcade opened in 1985;
- McDonald's Greenbelt branch, the Philippine franchise's 9th store opened in 1985; and
- Greenbelt Mall, a three-story building with parking spaces, boutiques, and shops, opened in 1987.
As an Ayala Mall
Greenbelt underwent enhancements, starting with the construction of the indoor Center Mall from 1989 to 1994 and the renovation in 1994 that added wheelchair ramps. The original wing was subsequently renamed Greenbelt 1 in 2000 as part of an expansion project, which involved renovation until 2001, redevelopment of the Ayala Museum from 2001 to 2004, expansion of the park, and the addition of Paseo Steel Parking and new wings such as Greenbelt 2 and 3, Greenbelt 4, and Greenbelt 5. Demolition of surrounding structures, including United Supermarket, Garden Square Building, Shop & Lift Plaza, Greenbelt Arcade, and Greenbelt 1's service driveways occurred until 2006, mostly due to expired contracts, making way
for these developments.
The mall underwent major redevelopment, with the ground level of Greenbelt 3 closed in 2019 for renovation. The new area reopened in October 2021, which now hosts luxury labels and a newly renovated Starbucks Reserve cafe. Greenbelt 4 was later renovated from the third quarter of 2022 to its reopening in April 2023.
Future redevelopment
On July 25, 2023, Ayala Land filed a Petition to Remove the Presumption as Important Cultural Property designation from Greenbelt 1 before the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, arguing that alterations made to the original structure as a result of renovations over the past decades had made the building unrecognizable from its original design.Greenbelt 1 and 2 are undergoing a major redevelopment, costing, since the first quarter of 2024. Greenbelt 1's redevelopment is also funded by a fraction of a loan by Ayala Land from the International Finance Corporation. Greenbelt 2's ground level was closed in January 2024 for renovations scheduled to be complete in 2026. Greenbelt 1 was later closed on April 1, 2024, for its eventual demolition alongside the Paseo Steel Parking. It will be replaced by a newer complex that will include a hotel, office spaces, a larger cinema complex, a four-level shopping mall with four parking levels beneath, and possibly a new park expected to open in 2028. The Greenbelt 3 Cinemas was also renovated in 2025, closing temporarily from February to their reopening on December 17. As part of the upgrade, Cinema 4 was converted into an A-Luxe theater. Ayala Malls has tapped San Francisco-based architectural firm Gensler for the redesign of Greenbelt. Despite the mall's renovation, McDonald's Greenbelt would remain open, with their lease extended until 2027 and drive-thru lanes also undergoing renovation.
Features
Greenbelt, located in Ayala Center, has a gross leasable area of, making it the eleventh largest shopping mall in the Philippines in terms of GLA, tied with Glorietta and Ayala Center Cebu. Its lot is bounded by Legazpi Street, De la Rosa Street, Makati Avenue, Esperanza Street, and Paseo de Roxas.Retail Wings
Greenbelt consists of five separate retail wings and the Ayala Museum that encloses a central garden, Greenbelt Park, which contains the Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel and is bisected by Greenbelt Drive. As of 2024, Greenbelt 2 to 5 are interconnected through walkways on their respective second levels. The walkways also connect Greenbelt to nearby landmarks: from between Greenbelt 5 and the Ayala Museum to the De la Rosa Elevated Walkway, from Greenbelt 4 to The Landmark Makati, and from Greenbelt 2 to The Residences at Greenbelt.Greenbelt 1
Prior to its temporary closure in 2024 due to a needed renovation, Greenbelt 1 featured lifestyle, food, and supply stores, as well as two cinemas and the OnStage Theater, a performing arts theater that hosted Repertory Philippines from 2002 to 2024. It was also the location of The Marketplace supermarket, National Book Store and an Automatic Centre branch. The renovated Greenbelt 1 will feature new spaces for flagship stores.Greenbelt 2
Greenbelt 2 features the Greenbelt Townhomes, a two- to three-story condominium on top, and, until 2024, high-end al fresco restaurants. The redevelopment will convert it into an indoor space with retail shops, as well as rooftop dining.Greenbelt 3
Greenbelt 3 has 4 retail levels, featuring a mix of international brands including luxury labels at the ground level's indoor area. Sit-down restaurants with al fresco dining are situated in the outdoor units of the ground level, directly facing Greenbelt Park. The upper levels offer a diverse mix of retail, entertainment, and further dining options. Notably, Greenbelt 3 houses five cinemas, including an A-Luxe theater and the Philippines' third 4DX cinema, as well as MyCinema, a premium private mini-theater.The largest Philippine branch of Louis Vuitton and the country's only Hermès boutique is found here.
Greenbelt 4
Greenbelt 4 features high-end boutiques on its enclosed ground level. On the second and third levels is an H&M branch. Greenbelt 4's second level hallway serves as a rear access to the Ayala Museum and an extension of the Dela Rosa Elevated Walkway connecting the latter to The Landmark, the rest of Greenbelt, and Ayala Center.Greenbelt 5
Greenbelt 5 is the largest wing, divided into 2 sections: Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 has 3 retail levels, houses boutiques of Filipino designers, luxury boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. Phase 2, with 5 levels of retail space, one underground and four over ground, features the high-end department store Adora, entertainment facilities, luxury boutiques and restaurants. Phase 2's underground level connects to Greenbelt Drive beneath Greenbelt Park. The garden facing side of Greenbelt 5's ground level is lined with sit in restaurants with al fresco seats. Both phases are connected through an elevated atrium that is used for events.Restaurants
Restaurants are located in Greenbelt 3 and 5, as well as in Greenbelt 2 prior to its ongoing renovations from 2024 to 2026, known for their sit-down dining options. Greenbelt 1 concentrated more on fast food until its closure in 2024.The complex is also home to a colony of well-fed cats who lounge around walkways and in unoccupied al fresco cafe seats.
Parking
Greenbelt is served by an interconnected basement parking built beneath it, as well as the above-ground carpark inside Greenbelt 2.Former parking facilities at Greenbelt were the Paseo Steel Parking at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Esperanza Street, Greenbelt 1, and an open parking area, all above-ground. The open parking area has since been replaced by new wings in early 2000s, while Paseo Steel Parking was interconnected with the parking in Greenbelt 2 until its demolition in 2024 as part of a redevelopment that also involved the demolition of Greenbelt 1.