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Greenbelt (Ayala Center)

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Coordinates: 14°33′06.6″N 121°01′19.9″E / 14.551833°N 121.022194°E / 14.551833; 121.022194
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Greenbelt
Greenbelt logo
Greenbelt in 2023
Map
LocationAyala Center, San Lorenzo, Makati, Philippines
Coordinates14°33′06.6″N 121°01′19.9″E / 14.551833°N 121.022194°E / 14.551833; 121.022194
Opening date1988; 36 years ago (1988)
DeveloperAyala Land
ManagementAyala Malls
ArchitectGreenbelt Square (old Greenbelt 1): Leandro Locsin
Old Greenbelt 1: Leandro V. Locsin Partners
Center Mall (old Greenbelt 1): WV Coscolluela & Associates
Greenbelt 2 to 4: Callison, GF & Partners (associate), and Edward D. Stone & Associates (landscape)
New Greenbelt 1: Gensler
No. of stores and services300+
Total retail floor area250,000 m2 (2,700,000 sq ft)
No. of floorsMall: 5 (maximum)[a]
Greenbelt Townhomes: 3 (maximum)
Basement Parking: 1
Parking2000+ cars
WebsiteGreenbelt Website

Greenbelt, also known as Ayala Malls Greenbelt, 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.[1]

History

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The old Greenbelt 1, captured from Gamboa Street, featuring the component Brutalist structure formerly known as Greenbelt Square.

Origin

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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.[2][3] 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, opened in 1985; and
  • Greenbelt Mall, a three-story building with parking spaces, boutiques, and shops, opened in 1987.[4]

As an Ayala Mall

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The park, aforementioned buildings, and open parking area collectively formed the retail complex known as Greenbelt,[4] officially opening as such in 1988 as the second Ayala Mall.[5] Real estate company Ayala Land conceptualized Greenbelt as the Philippines's first lifestyle center with bars, posh boutiques, lush tropical greenery, a world-class museum, and an elegant chapel.[6] In the 1990s, Greenbelt, along with the adjacent Makati Commercial Center, was integrated into the Ayala Center.[7]

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 (ground broke in 2000 and opened in 2002), Greenbelt 4 (ground broke in 2002 and opened in 2004), and Greenbelt 5 (opened in 2007).[8][9] Demolition of surrounding structures, including United Supermarket, Garden Square Building, Shop & Lift Plaza,[10] Greenbelt Arcade, and Greenbelt 1's service driveways occurred until 2006, mostly due to expired contracts, to make way for these developments.[4][8][11]

The mall underwent major redevelopment, with the ground level of Greenbelt 3 closed in 2019 for renovation.[12] The new area reopened in October 2021, which now hosts luxury labels and a newly renovated Starbucks Reserve cafe.[13] Greenbelt 4 was later renovated from the third quarter of 2022 to its reopening in April 2023.[14]

Future redevelopment

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Greenbelt 1 being demolished in July 2024 as part of a major 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. This was made due to the alterations made to the original structure as a result of renovations over the past decades, as well as its impending demolition for future redevelopment.[4]

Greenbelt 1 and 2 are undergoing a major redevelopment, costing ₱13 billion, since the first quarter of 2024. Greenbelt 2's ground level was closed in January 2024 for renovations scheduled to be complete in 2026.[15][16][17] Greenbelt 1 was later closed on April 1, 2024, for its eventual demolition, done gradually with Paseo Steel Parking and McDonald's,.[18][19][20][21] 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.[15][22] Ayala Malls has tapped San Francisco-based architectural firm Gensler for the redesign of Greenbelt.[23]

Features

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Greenbelt, located in Ayala Center, has a gross leasable area (GLA) of 250,000 m2 (2,700,000 sq ft), making it the ninth largest shopping mall in the Philippines in terms of GLA, tied with Glorietta. Its lot is bounded by Legazpi Street, Dela Rosa Street, Makati Avenue, Esperanza Street, and Paseo de Roxas. It is divided into five sections: Greenbelt 1 to 5. Surrounded by those sections is the Greenbelt Park, which contains the Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel and is bisected by Greenbelt Drive. Level 2 pedestrian footbridges connect the mall to Legazpi Village through the De La Rosa Elevated Walkway, The Landmark, and The Residences at Greenbelt.

Retail shops

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Façade of Greenbelt 5
Interior of Greenbelt 5

Greenbelt 1, prior to its temporary closure in 2024 due to a needed renovation, 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 and Automatic Centre branches.[24]

Greenbelt 2 features the Greenbelt Townhomes, a two- to three-story condominium on top, and, until 2024, high-end al fresco restaurants.[25] The redevelopment will convert it into an indoor space with retail shops.

Greenbelt 3 features a mix of international brands including luxury labels at the ground level, sit-down restaurants, and entertainment facilities, as well as five cinemas and MyCinema, a private mini-theater.[26] The largest Philippine branch known as Louis Vuitton was found here.[27][28][29] It is also the location of the Philippines's third 4DX cinema, launched in 2016.[30]

Greenbelt 4 features high-end boutiques.[31] Also included are an H&M branch and a Gogoro concept store.

Greenbelt 5 has boutiques of Filipino designers, high-end department store Adora, art galleries, and boutiques.

Restaurants

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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

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Greenbelt is served by an interconnected basement parking built beneath it, as well as the above-ground carpark inside Greenbelt 2.[32]

Former parking facilities at Greenbelt were the Paseo Steel Parking at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Esperanza Street, Greenbelt 1 (initially known as Greenbelt Mall), 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, which also involved the demolition of Greenbelt 1.

Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel

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Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel

Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel is a Roman Catholic place of worship in Greenbelt Park at the complex's center. It is under the mission station of the same name of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. Built as an open-air, concrete dome in the middle of a pond, the chapel holds masses and other religious services every day. It celebrates its titular feast day every third Sunday of January. It was inaugurated on July 28, 1983, and designed by architects William Fernandez and Jess Dizon.[33] Additionally, glass sculptor Ramon Orlina contributed to the design by creating the tabernacle altar, ceiling art, the cross at one of the entrances, among others.[34]

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Point-to-point (P2P) bus stops are also located on Legazpi Street, just beside Greenbelt 5 and, formerly, Greenbelt 1, respectively.[35] Additionally, a jeepney terminal and another P2P bus stop is located at The Landmark, adjacent to Greenbelt across Makati Avenue.

Incidents

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On October 18, 2009, between 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. PHT, heavily armed thieves overpowered the mall's security guards and broke into a Rolex watch shop in Greenbelt 5. The thieves, dressed in bomb squad uniforms, hammered the glass cases containing Rolex watches. A suspected robber was killed by two police escorts of Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga who, incidentally, happened to be present upon the heist while the other gun-men escaped with an undetermined value of expensive watches.[36][37]

Fire incidents

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  • April 15, 2010: A fire broke out from an Indian restaurant in Greenbelt 3 at 6:44 p.m., causing adjacent restaurants and the nearby cinemas to temporarily close.[38][39]
  • July 4, 2016: A fire broke out from a BPI branch in Greenbelt 1 at 9:11 a.m.[40] It reportedly started from the bank's warehouse.[41] It was put out by 3:31 p.m.[42]
  • April 9, 2024: A minor fire broke out in Greenbelt 2 at 9:28 a.m., raising it to first alarm two minutes later. It was put out at 9:40 a.m.[43]
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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The mall consists of Levels 1 to 4 and Lower Ground Level.

References

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  1. ^ "Ayala". www.ayalamalls.com.
  2. ^ Yuvallos, Andrei (April 23, 2021). "LOOK: These vintage photos of Greenbelt park will have you racing to your old albums". NOLISOLI.ph. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Alcazaren, Paulo (March 8, 2008). "Greenbelt delight". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. July 23, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "Malls Move Up the Metropolis". Ayala Land. September 26, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Jorge, Rome (February 5, 2005). "Greenbelt's award-winning cradle of greenery". The Manila Times. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Ayala Center TVC (1990). Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Burgos, Rowena C. (April 26, 2002). "Greenbelt redefines malling experience". Philippine Daily Inquirer. pp. E1. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  9. ^ "Greenbelt 5". KMC. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Citiatlas Metro Manila (Map). 1:10,000. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Asiatype. 2003.
  11. ^ "Glorietta Mall at Ayala Center" (PDF). ULI Development Case Studies. 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Mananquil, Millet (June 30, 2019). "Coming soon: greenbelt 3 and 4 redefine luxury shopping". The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Manila Standard Lifestyle (October 26, 2021). "Greenbelt 3 reopens with new flagship stores". Manila Standard. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "GREENBELT: THE COUNTRY'S FASHION CAPITAL". When In Manila. June 7, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Camus, Miguel (February 15, 2024). "Ayala Land earmarks P13B for renovation of four malls". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  16. ^ Austria, Jennifer B. (January 25, 2024). "Ayala Land renovating four malls, doubling hotel rooms". Manila Standard. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Legaspi, John (January 10, 2024). "Mary Grace Café bids farewell to its Greenbelt 2 store". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Cordero, Ted (February 15, 2024). "Iconic Greenbelt 1 mall closing in April to give way for redevelopment". GMA Integrated News. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "#ANONGBALITA Goodbye Greenbelt 1: Mall to close in April". Manila Standard. February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Reyes, Rizal Raoul (February 20, 2024). "Iconic Greenbelt 1 to undergo major redevelopment". BusinessMirror. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  21. ^ Austria, Jenniffer B. (April 1, 2024). "Ayala closes down iconic Greenbelt 1 mall". Manila Standard. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "BIZ BUZZ: Say goodbye to Greenbelt 1". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  23. ^ Crismundo, Kris (February 15, 2024). "Glorietta, Greenbelt 2, Trinoma renovation starts Q1 2024". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  24. ^ Rivas, Ralf (September 8, 2021). "Automatic Centre, Philippines' oldest appliance chain, to shut down". Rappler. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  25. ^ "Greenbelt Townhomes". RealityHomes. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  26. ^ Jamora-Garceau, Therese (June 1, 2022). "'Greenbelt is not just a mall; it's an experience'". Philstar.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  27. ^ Convento, Justin Alexandra (October 14, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Louis Vuitton Unveils Biggest Store in the Philippines in Ayala Malls Makati, Greenbelt 3". Metro. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  28. ^ "25 PHOTOS: Newly-opened, biggest Louis Vuitton store in the PH has Pinoy flair". ABS-CBN News. October 16, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  29. ^ Arcellana, Juaniyo (November 4, 2021). "In praise of cinema verité". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  30. ^ POP! Team (August 22, 2016). "Stars join Ayala Malls Cinemas' new level of movie experience at Greenbelt 3". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  31. ^ "Greenbelt 4". KMC. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  32. ^ "Greenbelt 2, 3, and 4" (PDF). ULI Development Case Studies. 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  33. ^ "History". Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  34. ^ "The Ayala Center Story: Part 2 – Greenbelt rises". The Urban Roamer. November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  35. ^ "Alabang Town Center - Greenbelt 1 Schedule". P2P Bus Philippines. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  36. ^ "Report: Tension erupts at Makati shopping center after shooting incident". GMANews.TV. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  37. ^ "(UPDATE 4) Robbers hit luxury watch store in Makati mall". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  38. ^ "Fire hits Greenbelt 3 mall". ABS-CBN News. April 15, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  39. ^ "Fire hits Greenbelt 3 in Makati". GMA News. April 15, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  40. ^ Mangosing, Francis; See, Aie Balagtas (July 4, 2016). "Fire hits BPI branch in Greenbelt". Inquirer.net. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  41. ^ "Fire hits BPI branch in Greenbelt". GMA News. July 4, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  42. ^ "Metro Briefs: Fire hits BPI Greenbelt". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 5, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  43. ^ Cabato, Luisa (April 9, 2024). "Fire hits Greenbelt 2 in Makati City". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
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