Greenbelt (Ayala Center)
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedGreenbelt is a large upscale shopping, dining, entertainment, and lifestyle complex at Ayala Center in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Greenbelt, also known as Greenbelt by Ayala Malls, is an upscale mixed-use shopping and lifestyle complex in Makati's Ayala Center. It is owned and operated within the Ayala group, with Ayala Malls serving as the mall platform and Ayala Land as the principal real-estate owner. The complex is one of Ayala Corporation's flagship developments and is recognized for combining luxury retail, restaurants, entertainment, landscaped public space, cultural facilities, and religious architecture in a single urban destination. The site's roots reach back to the 1970s, when Greenbelt Junction operated as an open park surrounded by low-rise commercial buildings, restaurants, an aviary, and the United Supermart. A chapel, the Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel, was inaugurated in 1983. Several precursor structures were added during the 1980s, including Greenbelt Square, a Brutalist retail and cinema building designed by Leandro Locsin; Fair Center; Greenbelt Arcade; a McDonald's branch; and a later three-story building known as Greenbelt Mall. These structures and the park were consolidated into the Greenbelt retail complex, which officially opened in 1988 as Ayala's second mall. Ayala Land conceived Greenbelt as a lifestyle center rather than a conventional enclosed shopping mall. Its planned identity emphasized greenery, dining, premium boutiques, cultural amenities, a chapel, and a more sophisticated public-realm experience. During the 1990s, Greenbelt and the adjacent Makati Commercial Center became integrated into the broader Ayala Center. The property subsequently expanded through the construction of an indoor center mall and a major redevelopment that created Greenbelt 1 through Greenbelt 5. Greenbelt 2 and 3 opened in 2002, Greenbelt 4 in 2003, and Greenbelt 5 in 2007. The complex currently comprises five principal retail sections surrounding Greenbelt Park, a landscaped central area containing the chapel and linked pedestrian routes. Greenbelt 3 and Greenbelt 5 are particularly associated with luxury brands, designer boutiques, restaurants, and entertainment. The complex includes major international and Philippine retail labels, cinemas, premium dining, art galleries, and department-store offerings. It also connects to the Ayala Museum, nearby residences, The Landmark, elevated walkways, public transport links, and the wider Ayala Center network. Greenbelt has undergone repeated renovation and repositioning. Greenbelt 3's ground level was redeveloped and reopened in 2021, while Greenbelt 4 reopened after renovation in 2023. Greenbelt 1 and Greenbelt 2 entered another major redevelopment cycle in 2024. Greenbelt 1 was closed for demolition and replacement, with plans described as including retail, office, hotel, cinema, parking, and public-space components. The redevelopment is intended to preserve Greenbelt's premium positioning while updating its buildings, circulation, tenant mix, and facilities. Greenbelt remains active as a destination for high-end shopping, dining, leisure, cultural activity, and everyday urban services, although individual wings and facilities may close temporarily during construction.
History
Greenbelt developed from a landscaped commercial area known as Greenbelt Junction, which existed by the 1970s in the emerging Ayala Center district of Makati. The early site combined an open park, an aviary, restaurants, low-rise commercial structures, and the United Supermart. Its identity was therefore tied to open space and leisure before it became a large enclosed and multi-wing retail complex. Several important buildings appeared during the 1980s. Greenbelt Square opened in 1982 as a three-story Brutalist structure designed by Leandro Locsin and contained retail space and four cinemas. Two of those cinemas were later converted into the OnStage performing-arts theater and the ArtFilm Theater. Fair Center, a department-store building later associated with Shop & Lift Plaza, opened in 1983. The Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel was inaugurated in the same year in the park. Greenbelt Arcade followed in 1985, as did a McDonald's branch that was the Philippine franchise's ninth location. A three-story Greenbelt Mall building with shops, boutiques, and parking opened in 1987. In 1988, Ayala consolidated the park, earlier buildings, and open parking into the retail destination officially known as Greenbelt. Ayala Land presented the project as a lifestyle center, emphasizing tropical landscaping, restaurants and bars, upscale boutiques, a chapel, and cultural facilities. This concept differentiated Greenbelt from a purely enclosed shopping center. In the 1990s it was integrated with the adjacent Makati Commercial Center as part of the expanding Ayala Center. An indoor center mall was built between 1989 and 1994, and accessibility improvements, including wheelchair ramps, were added during the 1994 renovation. A larger redevelopment was planned in the late 1990s. The original section was renamed Greenbelt 1 in 2000, while the site gained expanded park areas, new wings, and the Paseo Steel Parking structure. Greenbelt 2 and Greenbelt 3 broke ground in 2000 and opened in May and June 2002. Greenbelt 3 added retail, restaurants, five cinemas, and the MyCinema private mini-theater. Greenbelt 4 broke ground in 2002 and opened in 2003 on the former Ayala Museum site; the museum moved to a purpose-built facility beside the new wing. Greenbelt 5 broke ground in 2006 and opened in 2007. Several older surrounding structures were subsequently demolished as leases expired or the redevelopment proceeded. The expanded complex established the format that made Greenbelt a major Philippine luxury-retail destination. Greenbelt 3 became associated with international luxury brands, premium restaurants, and cinemas. Greenbelt 4 focused on enclosed premium retail and links to the Ayala Museum. Greenbelt 5 combined Philippine designers, luxury boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and the Adora department store across two connected phases. Greenbelt Park remained the organizing landscape, with the chapel at its center and walkways linking the wings to surrounding Ayala Center destinations. Renewal continued in the 2010s and 2020s. Greenbelt 3's ground floor closed for redevelopment in 2019 and reopened in October 2021 with updated luxury retail and a renovated Starbucks Reserve café. Greenbelt 4 was renovated from 2022 and reopened in April 2023. In 2023, Ayala Land challenged the presumption that Greenbelt 1 should be treated as an important cultural property, citing extensive alterations. In 2024, Greenbelt 1 closed for demolition and replacement, while Greenbelt 2's ground-level dining area was closed for conversion and refurbishment. Plans described for Greenbelt 1 include a new mixed-use complex with a hotel, offices, cinemas, retail floors, parking, and a possible new park. Greenbelt 3 cinemas also entered a later renovation program. Through these changes, Greenbelt has remained an active component of Ayala Center while adapting its architecture, tenant mix, and amenities to changing retail and urban-development requirements.
- 2024
Greenbelt 1 and 2 redevelopment begins
[1]Greenbelt 1 closes for demolition and replacement, while Greenbelt 2's ground level undergoes conversion and renovation.
- 2023
Greenbelt 4 renovation completed
[1]Greenbelt 4 reopens after a renovation period that began in 2022.
- 2021
Redeveloped Greenbelt 3 ground level reopens
[1]The renovated area returns with luxury labels and updated dining and café facilities.
- 2007
Greenbelt 5 opens
[1]The largest wing adds designer retail, galleries, restaurants, and Adora.
- 2003
Greenbelt 4 opens
[1]The fourth wing opens on the former Ayala Museum site and links to the relocated museum.
- 2002
Greenbelt 2 and Greenbelt 3 open
[1]The new wings expand premium retail, dining, and cinema capacity.
- 2000
Original wing renamed Greenbelt 1
[1]The first section receives the Greenbelt 1 designation as a wider redevelopment begins.
- 1988
Greenbelt officially opens as an Ayala Mall
[1]The existing park and commercial structures are consolidated into Greenbelt, Ayala's second mall.
- 1983
Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel inaugurated
[1]The open-air chapel is inaugurated in Greenbelt Park.
- 1982
Greenbelt Square opens
[1]Leandro Locsin's three-story Brutalist retail and cinema building opens on the site.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
An upscale urban lifestyle destination that combines luxury and designer retail with dining, entertainment, cultural facilities, landscaped public space, and a distinctive chapel-centered setting.
Lifestyle retail and entertainment wing · 2000
Greenbelt 1
The original major wing of the complex historically contained lifestyle, food, supply, and everyday retail, along with cinemas, the OnStage theater, an exhibition hall, a supermarket, a bookstore, and other services. It closed in 2024 for demolition and planned replacement as part of a larger mixed-use redevelopment.
Premium retail and dining wing · 2002
Greenbelt 2
Greenbelt 2 combines high-end boutiques with Greenbelt Townhomes above and previously provided upscale al fresco dining at ground level. Its ground floor entered renovation in 2024, with the dining-oriented area being converted and reconfigured for a revised retail and hospitality mix.
Luxury retail, dining, and cinema wing · 2002
Greenbelt 3
Greenbelt 3 is a four-level wing with international luxury labels, restaurants facing Greenbelt Park, and a cinema complex. It has hosted the Philippine branches of major luxury brands, including the country's only Hermès boutique as described in reference material, as well as a large Louis Vuitton store, a 4DX auditorium, MyCinema, and an A-Luxe theater.
Luxury retail wing · 2003
Greenbelt 4
Greenbelt 4 provides enclosed premium retail on its lower level and includes H&M on the upper levels. Its circulation areas connect shoppers to the Ayala Museum, The Landmark, Greenbelt's other wings, and the De La Rosa elevated walkway.
Designer retail, dining, and department-store wing · 2007
Greenbelt 5
Greenbelt 5 is the largest wing and has two connected phases. It houses Philippine designers, international luxury boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and the Adora department store. Its park-facing frontage provides al fresco dining, while the architectural façade takes inspiration from a textile associated with the T'boli people.
Public-space and religious amenity · 1983
Greenbelt Park and Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel
Greenbelt Park is the landscaped central garden around which the five retail wings are organized. At its center is an open-air concrete-domed Roman Catholic chapel set within a pond. The chapel holds daily religious services and remains one of the complex's defining architectural and experiential features.
Brand decisions
2024
Redevelop Greenbelt 1 and Greenbelt 2StrategyBackground
The aging wings required substantial modernization, while Ayala Land sought to update the complex's retail, hospitality, office, cinema, circulation, and public-space offer.
Action taken
Greenbelt 1 was closed for demolition and replacement, and Greenbelt 2's ground level was closed for renovation and conversion. Gensler was engaged for the redesign.
Aftermath
The planned Greenbelt 1 replacement is described as a mixed-use complex with a hotel, offices, cinemas, retail, parking, and possibly a new park. Completion was projected for 2028 in the reference material.
Redevelopment cost. PHP 13 billion (Announced for the Greenbelt 1 and 2 redevelopment in 2024)
2000
Reorganize Greenbelt as a multi-wing lifestyle destinationStrategyBackground
Ayala Land pursued a major expansion and repositioning after Greenbelt had established itself as a landscaped lifestyle center.
Action taken
The original section was renamed Greenbelt 1 and new wings, park improvements, parking, and pedestrian connections were developed.
Aftermath
The project created the modern Greenbelt 1-to-5 format and strengthened the complex's premium retail and dining positioning.
Recent events
- 2025
Greenbelt 3 cinemas undergo renovation[1]
Other · Product generation
The Greenbelt 3 cinema complex temporarily closed for renovation, with the upgraded facilities scheduled to reopen in December and one auditorium converted into an A-Luxe theater.
- 2024
Greenbelt 1 and 2 enter major redevelopment[1]
Other
Greenbelt 1 and Greenbelt 2 began another redevelopment program, including the closure and planned replacement of Greenbelt 1 and renovation of Greenbelt 2's ground level.
- 2024
Minor fire reported at Greenbelt 2[1]
Other
A minor fire at Greenbelt 2 was raised to first alarm shortly after discovery and extinguished within minutes.
- 2023
Ayala Land seeks removal of Greenbelt 1 cultural-property presumption[1]
Regulation
Ayala Land filed a petition with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts arguing that decades of alterations had substantially changed Greenbelt 1 from its original design.
- 2016
Fire reported at Greenbelt 1 bank branch[1]
Other
A fire reportedly began in the warehouse of a BPI branch in Greenbelt 1 and was extinguished later the same day.
- 2010
Fire temporarily closes parts of Greenbelt 3[1]
Other
A fire originating at an Indian restaurant in Greenbelt 3 led to the temporary closure of nearby restaurants and cinemas while the incident was handled.
- 2009
Greenbelt Rolex boutique robbed by armed thieves[1]
Other
Armed robbers wearing bomb-disposal-style uniforms overpowered security personnel and broke into a Rolex store in Greenbelt 5. A suspected robber was killed by police escorts who happened to be at the mall, while other suspects escaped with watches of an undetermined value.
Sources2 sources
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