SM Aura

SM Aura is an upscale SM Supermall and mixed-use commercial complex in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila. Owned by SM Prime Holdings and associated with the wider SM Investments group, it combines retail, dining, cinema, events, religious facilities, offices, and public-facing services in a vertically integrated development. The mall occupies a prominent site at the junction of 26th Street and McKinley Parkway, near Ayala Malls' Market! Market!, and serves office workers, residents, tourists, families, and higher-income shoppers in one of Metro Manila's major business districts. The complex was developed on a property whose ownership and intended use had been contested between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Taguig local government. Agreements in 1999 and 2004 addressed the relationship between the parties and the transfer of parcels in Fort Bonifacio. SM Prime won a public bid in 2007 to lease and develop approximately 1.5 hectares for a mixed-use project. Lease arrangements followed in 2007 and 2008, while the land-transfer documentation became the subject of later disagreement. BCDA subsequently questioned the legality and compliance of the construction, while SM Prime disputed that characterization. Construction began in 2011. The project was initially promoted under names including SM Aura Premier and SM Aura at the Bonifacio Civic Center. Its inaugural blessing took place on May 16, 2013, followed by the public opening on May 17. The event attracted SM Prime executives, Philippine public officials, invited guests, and entertainer Sarah Jessica Parker, who participated in the opening of The SM Store and was associated with the retailer's Love to Shop campaign. The mall became the second SM Supermall to use the Premier branding after SM Lanang, although that branding was later discontinued. SM Aura's design responds to a narrow development site through a dumbbell-shaped arrangement, with the main retail entrance on 26th Street and an office tower at the southern end. Arquitectonica designed the architecture, while EDGE Interior Designers worked on interior design. A central part of the identity is Skypark, a multilevel landscaped roof area extending across the fifth through seventh levels. It includes gardens, sculptures, open-air dining and drinking areas, and a mini-golf facility. The complex also contains Samsung Hall, a 1,000-seat performance venue; the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod, a 250-seat Roman Catholic chapel; SMX Convention Center Aura; SM Cinema; an IMAX theater; and the Food on Four and Dine at the Fifth dining areas. Retail anchors include The SM Store and SM Supermarket. The tenant mix has included international and premium fashion, home-furnishing, beauty, fitness, and food brands, alongside Philippine and multinational restaurants. The complex is also a venue for conferences, entertainment, cultural programming, and corporate functions. SMX Convention Center Aura occupies portions of the third and fourth floors and provides function and meeting rooms with a combined capacity of up to 2,480 people. Connected to the mall is SM Aura Tower, a 29-story office building that opened in September 2014. It provides office accommodation and has housed corporate tenants, government agencies, and public-sector offices. The tower was planned with energy-efficiency and sustainability features, complementing the mall's environmental positioning. SM Aura received Gold certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system, making it a notable Philippine retail project for its green-building credentials. The complex underwent a renovation during the early 2020s. The Director's Club Cinema was closed in 2023 and relocated to a renovated area, reopening in December of that year with recliner seating and Dolby Atmos sound. Food on Four was reworked and completed in April 2024. The IMAX theater closed in June 2024 for an upgrade to IMAX with Laser and reopened in Se…

SM Aura developed from a planned mixed-use project on land in Fort Bonifacio whose disposition had been shaped by a dispute involving the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Taguig local government. The underlying issue concerned the relationship between land designated for a civic center and an area affected by encroachment from the Manila American Cemetery. Agreements signed in 1999 and 2004 transferred several parcels to Taguig in exchange for resolving the encroachment issue. SM Prime Holdings later won a 2007 public bid to lease and develop about 1.5 hectares of the property. Lease documents were executed in 2007 and 2008, and a 2008 deed of conveyance transferred the land to Taguig without restrictions on its use. BCDA later argued that the development was unauthorized and disputed SM Prime's interpretation of the land-transfer documents; SM Prime rejected the allegation. The project was first referred to through working and promotional names such as SM Aura at the Civic Center and SM Aura Premier at the Bonifacio Civic Center. Construction started in 2011. The mall received its inaugural blessing on May 16, 2013, and opened to the public on May 17. It was the thirteenth SM Supermall in Metro Manila and the forty-seventh SM Prime mall in the Philippines. It was also the second mall to use the Premier branding after SM Lanang, although SM Prime later discontinued that label. The name Aura was explained by SM Prime as drawing on the chemical symbols Au, associated with gold, and Ra, associated with radium, expressing an intended association with luxury and inner radiance. Arquitectonica designed the building, whose form was influenced by the site's narrow shape. The retail structure uses a dumbbell-like plan with a principal entrance along 26th Street, vehicle access from McKinley Parkway and surrounding roads, and a three-level basement parking system. The mall's most distinctive public space is Skypark, a landscaped multilevel roof garden on levels five through seven. It combines botanical areas, sculpture, outdoor dining, bars, and a mini-golf course. The development also introduced Samsung Hall, a 1,000-seat performance venue opened in October 2013, and the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod, a 250-seat chapel opened in May 2013. The entertainment program has been expanded and periodically modernized. SM Aura contains six cinemas, including regular screens, Director's Club auditoriums with butler service and Dolby Atmos, and an IMAX theater. The IMAX venue temporarily operated as a large-format screen in early 2022 before resuming IMAX DMR presentations in May. It closed in June 2024 for a conversion to IMAX with Laser and reopened in September of that year. The former IMAX lobby subsequently became an Event Screen venue. A broader renovation also affected the Director's Club and dining areas: the cinema returned in December 2023, while the refreshed Food on Four food court was completed in April 2024. SMX Convention Center Aura occupies space on the third and fourth floors. It contains function rooms and meeting rooms, with total stated capacity of up to 2,480. Retail anchors include The SM Store and SM Supermarket, while the tenant mix has included premium and international fashion, home, fitness, and restaurant brands. The fifth-floor dining area is marketed collectively as Dine at the Fifth. The complex's environmental design received Gold certification under the LEED system, a significant recognition in the Philippine retail sector. The connected SM Aura Tower opened in September 2014. The 29-story building provides approximately 40,424 square meters of total area and about 39,654 square meters of gross leasable area according to the cited reference material. It contains offices, serviced-office accommodation, government agencies, and corporate tenants. Public-sector occupants have included agencies such as the Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, the Philippine Postal Corporation, the Bureau of Immigration, and the Land Registration Authority, as well as Taguig government offices. The tower therefore extends SM Aura's function from a shopping mall into a civic, workplace, and business hub within Bonifacio Global City.

1. 2024Renovated dining and cinema facilities expand

   Food on Four was completed in April, a third Director's Club auditorium opened, and the IMAX theater reopened with IMAX with Laser in September.

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2. 2023Mall renovation begins

   SM Aura undertook renovation work affecting cinema, dining, and other customer-facing facilities.

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3. 2022IMAX auditorium resumes regular IMAX presentations

   After temporarily operating as a large-format screen, the venue resumed regular IMAX DMR releases in May.

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4. 2014SM Aura Tower opens

   The connected 29-story office tower began operations in September.

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5. 2013SM Aura opens

   The mall received its blessing on May 16 and opened publicly on May 17 in Bonifacio Global City.

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6. 2013Samsung Hall opens

   The 1,000-seat performance venue opened on October 25 through an SM Group and Samsung Electronics Philippines partnership.

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7. 2011Construction begins

   Construction started on the mall and associated mixed-use development.

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8. 2008Lease and conveyance documentation completed

   Additional lease documentation and a deed of conveyance formalized the land arrangement later challenged by BCDA.

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9. 2007SM Prime wins public bid for development site

   SM Prime Holdings won a public bid to lease and develop approximately 1.5 hectares into a mixed-use complex.

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10. 2004Further land agreement supports transfer of Fort Bonifacio parcels

    A second agreement helped establish the framework for transferring several parcels to Taguig.

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11. 1999Initial land-transfer agreement addresses Fort Bonifacio dispute

    The BCDA and Taguig local government entered an agreement connected with resolving the civic-center land and cemetery-encroachment issue.

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Upscale, experience-led shopping and mixed-use commercial complex

• SM Aura retail mallShopping center2013

  The core retail component offers upscale fashion, beauty, home, lifestyle, supermarket, dining, and service tenants. Anchors include The SM Store and SM Supermarket, supported by a mix of Philippine and international brands. The mall is designed as an experience-oriented destination, combining conventional shopping with landscaped public areas, restaurants, entertainment, and event facilities.

• SkyparkLandscaped leisure space2013

  Skypark is a multilevel green-roof destination spanning the fifth through seventh levels. It includes botanical gardens, sculptures, al fresco restaurants and bars, and a mini-golf course. The space is a major part of SM Aura's upscale positioning because it provides outdoor leisure and social areas above the conventional retail floors.

• SM Cinema and IMAXCinema and entertainment2013

  SM Aura's cinema program comprises regular auditoriums, Director's Club screens with butler service and Dolby Atmos audio, and an IMAX auditorium. The IMAX venue was upgraded to IMAX with Laser in 2024. The site also added an Event Screen in the former IMAX lobby, extending its role as a venue for screenings and special presentations.

• SMX Convention Center AuraConvention and meetings2013

  SMX Convention Center Aura occupies parts of the third and fourth floors of the complex. It includes three function rooms on the third level and eight meeting rooms on the fourth, with stated total capacity of up to 2,480 people. The facility supports conferences, corporate events, meetings, and social functions within the mall environment.

• Samsung HallPerformance venue2013

  Samsung Hall is a 1,000-seat performance theater on the sixth level. Developed through a partnership between the SM Group and Samsung Electronics Philippines, it hosts concerts, cultural events, and other live programs. The venue has presented both Philippine and international performers and helps differentiate SM Aura from a purely retail shopping center.

• SM Aura TowerOffice and mixed-use property2014

  SM Aura Tower is a connected 29-story office building with office, serviced-office, government, and corporate accommodation. It opened in September 2014 and forms part of the Bonifacio Civic Center development. The tower gives the complex a substantial weekday office-worker audience and supports its role as a business and civic destination as well as a shopping mall.

• 2013Love to Shop

  Philippines

  The opening of The SM Store at SM Aura was connected with SM's Love to Shop campaign. Sarah Jessica Parker participated in the opening event and was identified as a campaign endorser.

  Outcome. The campaign supported the launch visibility of the mall and its department-store anchor.

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• 2023SM Aura undertakes customer-experience renovationStrategy

  The mall began a renovation focused on dining and entertainment areas, including its cinema offer and food court.

  What changed. The Director's Club was relocated and upgraded, Food on Four was reworked, and further cinema improvements were scheduled.

  Aftermath. The renovated Director's Club reopened in December 2023, Food on Four was completed in April 2024, and the IMAX auditorium reopened with IMAX with Laser in September 2024.

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• 2007SM Prime selects Fort Bonifacio site for mixed-use mall developmentStrategy

  SM Prime pursued a public bid to develop approximately 1.5 hectares in Fort Bonifacio, an increasingly important commercial district in Metro Manila.

  What changed. The company won the bid and entered lease arrangements with the Taguig local government, leading to development of the SM Aura complex.

  Aftermath. The project became one of SM Prime's Metro Manila malls and ultimately combined retail, entertainment, convention, office, and civic functions.

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• 2024Food on Four refurbishment is completed

  The mall's reworked high-end food-court concept, Food on Four, was completed in April as part of a broader renovation.

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• 2024SM Aura IMAX reopens with IMAX with Laser

  After closing in June for an equipment and venue upgrade, the cinema reopened on September 17 with IMAX with Laser technology.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 2023Director's Club Cinema relocates and reopens

  The Director's Club Cinema closed during the mall renovation and returned in December in a redesigned location with recliner seating and Dolby Atmos sound.

  Product generation
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• 2014SM Aura Tower begins operations

  The connected 29-story office tower opened in September, expanding the complex beyond retail into office, government, and commercial accommodation.

  Product launch
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• 2013SM Aura receives inaugural blessing before public opening

  The new SM Aura Premier complex held its inaugural blessing on May 16, one day before its grand opening in Bonifacio Global City.

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• 2013Samsung Hall opens at SM Aura

  The 1,000-seat Samsung Hall performance venue opened through a partnership between the SM Group and Samsung Electronics Philippines.

  Product launch
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• 2013Window-cleaning gondola accident injures two workers

  Two window cleaners were injured on June 18 when the gondola carrying them detached from its cables. Both were taken to St. Luke's Medical Center–Global City.

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1. SM Aura
2. SM Aura official website