SM North EDSA
A large SM Supermall and mixed-use retail, entertainment, dining and office complex in Quezon City, Philippines.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
SM North EDSA is a major shopping and mixed-use complex on North Avenue and EDSA in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, it opened on November 8, 1985, as The SM Center North EDSA. It was the first mall developed by SM Prime Holdings and the first SM property to use the “City” branding after being renamed The SM City North EDSA in 1986. In 2022, the City designation was dropped from the official name, which became SM North EDSA. The property was built on approximately 16 hectares of marshland at a time when the surrounding area was comparatively remote and the Philippines was experiencing severe political and economic uncertainty. Its original gross floor area was about 120,000 square meters. The initial anchors were SM’s department store and its first supermarket, but the complex rapidly expanded to include restaurants, cinemas, entertainment venues and specialty retail. This combination helped popularize the one-stop shopping model and made mall-going a prominent leisure activity in the Philippines. A succession of additions and redevelopment projects transformed the original three-story building into a large, interconnected commercial district. Annex 1 began as a parking structure in 1988 and later evolved into the Interior Zone, a lifestyle-oriented retail area. The original Annex 2 opened in 1989 and was demolished in 2007 before being replaced by the present Annex building in December 2008. The Block opened in 2006 on a former parking area, adding major retail anchors, restaurants, cinemas and an SM Hypermarket. The Sky Garden, including the Sky Dome events venue, opened in 2009, while The Northlink followed in 2010 with office and business-process-outsourcing space. The North Towers mixed-use development opened its first buildings in 2018 and added hotel, office and retail uses. The complex has also developed a substantial entertainment and transport role. Its facilities include cinemas, an IMAX auditorium, dining areas, a chapel, a go-kart attraction, event space, a public-facing elevated garden and transport terminals. The original IMAX cinema opened in 2009, temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened in 2022 and received an IMAX with Laser upgrade in 2024. A solar installation on the former Car Park Plaza helped make the mall one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar-powered shopping malls when it was installed in 2014. Beyond the principal mall buildings, the wider complex includes SM Cyber West Avenue, office and retail facilities, connections to residential developments such as Grass Residences and Fern Residences, and an EDSA Busway station. Continuous redevelopment has expanded the property’s reported gross floor area to approximately 477,000 square meters. The mall has repeatedly ranked among the Philippines’ largest shopping centers, reflecting SM Prime’s strategy of combining retail, dining, entertainment, offices, transport access and adjacent real-estate development in a single urban destination.
History
SM North EDSA was developed on land historically associated with proposed civic and government uses, including the National Exposition Grounds identified in the 1941 Frost Plan for Quezon City. During the 1970s, portions of the area were associated with a U.S. Navy transmitter-station reservation, while government-related land interests also considered the site for housing. By the time SM developed the property, the location was largely marshland and relatively distant from the established commercial core. The mall opened on November 8, 1985, during a period of political crisis and exceptionally high interest rates. Its opening as The SM Center North EDSA represented SM’s first major mall project. The initial complex contained an SM department store and supermarket, and its gradual addition of restaurants, cinemas and leisure facilities established a format that went beyond ordinary retailing. In 1986 it became The SM City North EDSA, making it the first SM mall to carry the City name. Expansion began quickly. A four-level parking structure, later known as Annex 1 or the Car Park Plaza, was built in 1988. The original Annex 2 followed in 1989 with additional retail, cinemas, bowling and amusement uses. Later changes added lower-ground retail areas and a technology-focused Cyberzone. In 2002 the property was renamed SM City North EDSA. The most significant redevelopment phase began in the 2000s. The Block opened in July 2006 on former open parking land. The original Annex 2 was closed and demolished in 2007, and the replacement Annex opened in December 2008. The Sky Garden and Sky Dome opened in 2009, creating an elevated landscaped public space and events facility. The former Car Park Plaza’s retail component was redesigned as The Interior Zone, a long lifestyle center for furniture, homeware, décor and related products. The Northlink, completed in 2010, added office and business-process-outsourcing space. The complex continued to diversify beyond conventional mall retail. The North Towers introduced hotel, office and retail functions, with its first buildings opening in 2018. SM Cyber West Avenue added offices, a Savemore supermarket and other commercial spaces connected to the main complex. Residential developments in the broader area include Grass Residences and the Fern Residences. These projects reinforced the site’s role as a mixed-use urban node rather than a standalone shopping building. Entertainment facilities have repeatedly been modernized. An IMAX auditorium opened in 2009 as the Philippines’ second IMAX venue and its first using digital projection. It closed during the pandemic in 2020, temporarily operated in a large-screen format in early 2022, and reopened as an IMAX cinema in May 2022. Following a later renovation, it reopened with IMAX with Laser in October 2024. Other cinema areas were converted or rebuilt as tenant space and new digital auditoriums. The complex also pursued environmental and transport improvements. A solar power plant installed on the upper level of Annex 1 in 2014 used 5,760 panels and could generate up to 1.5 megawatts. The Sky Garden’s ground level functions as a transport terminal, while the SM North EDSA Busway Station, formally opened in March 2025, strengthened the property’s link to the EDSA Carousel system. Through repeated additions, renovations and changes in tenant mix, the original 1985 mall became a multi-building destination with reported gross floor area of approximately 477,000 square meters. In 2022, the formal branding was simplified from SM City North EDSA to SM North EDSA.
- 2025
Busway station formally opens
[1]The SM North EDSA station became part of the EDSA Busway Concourse Project.
- 2024
IMAX with Laser opens
[1]The IMAX venue reopened after renovation with an IMAX with Laser system on October 23.
- 2022
Brand name simplified
[1]The “City” designation was dropped, leaving the official name SM North EDSA.
- 2018
North Towers opens its first buildings
[1]The mixed-use North Towers development opened with hotel, office and retail components.
- 2014
Solar plant installed
[1]A 5,760-panel installation capable of generating up to 1.5 megawatts was added to Annex 1.
- 2010
Northlink completed
[1]The six-story Northlink added office, BPO and retail space.
- 2009
Sky Garden and Interior Zone open
[1]The landscaped Sky Garden opened in May and the redesigned Interior Zone opened in November.
- 2008
Replacement Annex opens
[1]The rebuilt Annex opened on December 12 after the original structure was demolished.
- 2006
The Block opens
[1]The Block added five retail levels, cinemas, restaurants and an SM Hypermarket.
- 1989
Original Annex 2 opens
[1]The first Annex 2 added shops, restaurants, cinemas, bowling and amusement facilities.
Products and positioning
A large, integrated urban supermall combining everyday retail, fashion, dining, entertainment, office space, events and transport connectivity.
Main mall building · 1985
City Center
The original 1985 building and central hub of the complex. It houses the SM Store, SM Supermarket, food and dining areas, entertainment facilities and a modernized cinema cluster. The building has been repeatedly renovated, including cinema conversions, new digital auditoriums and the addition of newer leisure attractions.
Retail and entertainment mall · 2006
The Block
Opened in 2006, The Block is a five-level retail and dining building with cinemas, Director’s Club theaters, an SM Hypermarket and numerous fashion, sports, beauty and restaurant tenants. Its large oval atrium and connected footbridges make it one of the principal destinations within the complex.
Retail and entertainment mall · 2008
The Annex
The present Annex replaced the original Annex 2 in 2008. It provides specialty retail, restaurants, a Cyberzone, entertainment facilities and a bowling center in a large building characterized by an aquamarine perforated-metal exterior and a long curving atrium.
Lifestyle retail center · 2009
The Interior Zone
A 30,000-square-meter lifestyle center created from the former Car Park Plaza retail area. It focuses on furniture, homeware, décor, upholstery, wallpaper, tiles, lighting and related household products.
Cinema · 2009
IMAX cinema
The venue opened in 2009 as the Philippines’ second IMAX cinema and first digital IMAX location. After pandemic closure and later renovation, it reopened in 2024 with IMAX with Laser technology.
Office and retail building · 2010
The Northlink
A six-story addition completed in 2010, primarily occupied by BPO companies and other office tenants, with a smaller retail component and pedestrian connections to the rest of the mall.
Office and retail building
SM Cyber West Avenue
A 15-level building linked to the main complex by footbridge. It combines office space aimed largely at BPO tenants with a Savemore supermarket and other ground- and second-level commercial uses.
Brand decisions
2024
IMAX with Laser upgradeGeneration changeBackground
SM Cinema and IMAX expanded their partnership and undertook a renovation of the mall’s IMAX venue.
Action taken
The cinema temporarily closed in September 2024 and reopened on October 23 with IMAX with Laser projection.
Aftermath
The upgrade restored the venue as a premium large-format entertainment attraction within the complex.
2022
Simplification of the mall’s brand nameStrategyBackground
After decades of expansion, SM Prime simplified the property’s public-facing identity.
Action taken
The “City” element was removed, and the official name became SM North EDSA.
Aftermath
The simplified name aligns the property with its established shorthand while retaining its connection to the SM Supermall network.
2007
Redevelopment and replacement of the original Annex 2StrategyBackground
SM Prime pursued a major modernization program to increase leasable space and update the aging mall complex.
Action taken
The original Annex 2 was closed and demolished in February 2007, and a substantially larger replacement opened in December 2008.
Aftermath
The replacement added new retail, dining, cinema, entertainment and technology-oriented space and became a major component of the complex.
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