MANILA, Philippines – Ayala Malls is reinventing its iconic flagship malls to meet the new needs and tastes of consumers.

The company is spending P13 billion for the facelift of Glorietta and Greenbelt in Makati City, TriNoma in Quezon City, and Ayala Center Cebu.

Ayala Malls president Mariana Zobel de Ayala said mall-goers should expect a “fusion of contemporary elegance, marrying the functionality and seamless integration of outdoors and indoors and an enhanced cinema experience.”

Here are some renditions of the malls’ new designs:

Glorietta

Customers should expect Glorietta to have a more modern facade, as well as balconies with good views of the parks and lush greeneries. 

The confusing layout of the mall will also be addressed.

“What to expect? Exterior and interior design improvements, to reflect a modern and fresh aesthetic, intuitive wayfinding and circulation, and an all-around more cohesive customer experience,” Zobel said.

The redevelopment of Glorietta has started in the first quarter of 2024, with parts of the mall being closed off. Completion of the revamp is expected by the end of 2026.

Glorietta 1 and 2 first opened in 1991, boasting 240,000 square meters of retail space. Glorietta 3 and 4 opened in 1992 and 1998, respectively, while Glorietta 5 was the last to open in 2009.

It is currently a four-level “super regional mall” with seven cinemas and two activity centers, and is also integrated with three hotels – Holiday Inn, Ascott, and Fairmont.

The parks of Glorietta 3 and 4 will be “refreshed” and integrated into the mall for a more cohesive customer experience and improved pedestrian connectivity.

Greenbelt

Greenbelt 1 is set to blend luxury with sustainability.

The mall, designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, will be torn down in April. The amount for the reconstruction is separate and will be costlier than the P13 billion allotted for the four malls, according to Zobel.

Greenbelt 1, which first opened in 1986, will have various energy-efficient features, including a direct cooling system, skylights to harness natural sunlight, and a rainwater collection system for garden irrigation and landscaping purposes.

“We need to minimize our carbon footprint…. The gardens are helping us to mitigate carbon emissions [and] increase biodiversity,” said Paul Birkett, Ayala Malls chief operating officer.

Greenbelt 1 is targeted to reopen by 2028.

TriNoma

TriNoma, Ayala Malls’ first mall in northern Metro Manila, will soon have an “expanded and elevated” dining portfolio, a more dynamic activity center, a giant LED wall with 3D capacity, and more multipurpose event spaces at its rooftop.

The facade facing North Avenue will have a fresh entrance and a landscaped garden.

TriNoma first opened its doors in 2007. Works for its improvement started in the first quarter of 2024, while target completion is by the fourth quarter of 2025.

A three-level expansion on the North Avenue side is slated to open in 2026.

Ayala Center Cebu

Ayala Malls’ first mall outside Metro Manila and Luzon is also set to have a more modern look.

Ayala Center Cebu, which opened in 1994, will have a revitalized activity center featuring a four-floor LED wall. Its grand atrium will have architectural treatments on the ceiling.

Ayala Malls will tap Cebuano talent to incorporate local craft and culture in the overall design.

The mall will also be expanded to house more upscale brands and high-end restaurants.

It will link to Seda Hotel, Ayala Land Premier’s Park Point Residences and The Alcoves, and the 20-floor Ayala Center Cebu Corporate Center.

Sustainability and the bottom line

Zobel, who was recently named Ayala Malls president, said the redesigns were made amid changing habits and preferences post-pandemic.

“In redefining what we call third spaces – a place outside of your home, and work or school, where you would want to spend time – our ambition is to set a new standard in retail that resonates with both past and future generations,” she said.

Sections of the malls will be closed throughout the construction works. Despite these temporary closures, Zobel said Ayala Malls is maintaining its target to double its net income in the next five years.

When asked about how much rent would increase due to the new interiors, Birkett said the bump will come as a welcome development for both Ayala Malls and tenants.

“There’s a basic rent and then the element of rent that is paid according to how successful that unit is. It’s a revenue share, it is common practice, so the more successful that retailer becomes, the more their rent will increase. We constantly measure rent as a relationship to their overall revenue, that there are red and green signals, and all the mall operators do this,” Birkett explained.

“In terms of turnover rent, yes it may go up, but it will only go up because their sales have increased. So it’s a win-win for all of us.”

Ayala Malls executives said they are also looking at how the redevelopments will impact traffic.

“We’ve got to understand how [traffic] flows, how the urban traffic control works. The changing of the roads that we’re doing in front of Glorietta both benefits traffic flow and pedestrian access. We’re working hard with the teams to encourage…more utilization of public transport,” Birkett said. – Rappler.com