Gateway Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA major retail, dining, leisure, and entertainment complex in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Gateway Mall is a large shopping and entertainment complex in Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila. It forms part of Araneta City, the mixed-use district developed and operated by the Araneta Group, and occupies a strategically important position beside the Smart Araneta Coliseum and near the district’s major rail and bus connections. The complex is owned and operated by Araneta City, Inc., a subsidiary of the Araneta Group. The original Gateway Mall emerged from the Araneta Center Redevelopment Master Plan. During the early planning period it was known as the Millenium Mall project, a proposed multilevel retail development intended to renew the northern portion of the Araneta property. The project was designed within a much broader redevelopment program that contemplated new retail, residential, hotel, office, transportation, and entertainment facilities. Planning involved Felino Palafox of Palafox Associates and Sudhakar Thakurdesai of RTKL Associates, together with other urban-planning, property, and engineering consultants. Construction of the first mall began in 2002, and Gateway Mall opened in October 2004 after a reported development cost of approximately 2.5 billion Philippine pesos. Gateway Mall 1 was developed on a site previously occupied by properties including the Aurora Shopping Arcade, Quezon Arcade, and Plaza Fair. Its original building provided approximately 100,000 square metres of floor area across five retail levels and three basement parking levels. Rustan’s served as a principal anchor, while the tenant mix emphasized fashion, electronics, restaurants, food stalls, and other mid-market to upscale offerings. The mall also introduced a strong leisure and architectural identity through the glass-domed pavilion at Coliseum Circle, the Courtyard dining area, The Oasis indoor garden, The Gateway Gallery, The Topiary Garden, and the Gateway Cineplex. A major extension, Gateway Mall 2, was developed on the western side of the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The expansion was planned within the redevelopment program from an early stage, formally advanced during the 2010s, and constructed beginning in 2017. It was designed as an eight-storey retail and leisure component of the larger Gateway Square complex, which also includes the Gateway Tower, Gateway Office Building, hotels, parking, and links to the Coliseum and neighboring properties. Construction was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing delays, changes to the design, and increased development costs. Gateway Mall 2 began partial operations in April 2023 and was fully opened later that year. The combined Gateway development is positioned as an integrated urban destination rather than a conventional enclosed mall. It connects directly or indirectly with the LRT-2 and MRT-3 stations, Farmers Plaza, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the New Frontier Theater, office buildings, hotels, and other Araneta City facilities through concourses, walkways, and elevated links. Gateway Mall 2 added a large number of retail and food-and-beverage spaces, as well as attractions such as the Lagoon, Quantum Skyview activity atrium, Asian Village, Pop Culture Center, Paeng’s Gateway Bowl, World Kitchens food hall, Sensory Gardens, and the Sagrada Familia Church. The complex also incorporates the Ibis Styles Araneta City hotel and a broader Gateway Square mixed-use program. Gateway Mall’s competitive identity rests on connectivity, proximity to major events at the Coliseum, a broad dining and entertainment offer, and integration with the wider Araneta City district. It serves local residents, office workers, commuters, event attendees, tourists, and shoppers seeking fashion, electronics, groceries, restaurants, cinemas, cultural venues, and leisure activities. The mall’s reported scale and high daily foot traffic reflect its role as one of the principal commercial destinations in the Cubao area.
History
Gateway Mall was conceived as part of the Araneta Center Redevelopment Master Plan, a broad program intended to transform the Cubao property into a more integrated mixed-use district. In early planning documents the mall was referred to as the Millenium Mall. The redevelopment concept also contemplated additional shopping, residential, hotel, office, transportation, and entertainment facilities, including the developments that later became associated with Manhattan Gardens and the Novotel Manila Araneta City. Araneta Group commissioned urban planners and architects including Felino Palafox of Palafox Associates and Sudhakar Thakurdesai of RTKL Associates. The intended mall site covered land near the Araneta Coliseum, the LRT-2 station, Farmers Plaza, Farmers Market, and General McArthur Avenue. The planning approach emphasized links between retail buildings and transport infrastructure rather than treating the mall as an isolated property. The first Gateway Mall replaced earlier commercial properties, including the Aurora Shopping Arcade, Quezon Arcade, and Plaza Fair. Groundbreaking took place in 2002, and the mall opened on October 15, 2004. The initial development contained five principal retail levels and basement parking, with Rustan’s as a major anchor and a tenant mix spanning fashion, electronics, restaurants, groceries, and services. Architectural and public-space features such as the glass pavilion, Coliseum Circle, Courtyard, The Oasis, rooftop gardens, an activity atrium, an art gallery, and the Gateway Cineplex helped distinguish the property from a purely transactional shopping center. The original mall was subsequently connected to nearby buildings and transport facilities, including the Gateway Tower Mall, Farmers Plaza, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the LRT-2 Cubao station, the MRT-3 Cubao station, the Gateway Office Building, the New Frontier Theater, and hotels. These links reinforced Gateway’s role as a central interchange point within Araneta City. The second major phase, Gateway Mall 2 or New Gateway, was planned as part of the same long-term redevelopment vision. Detailed proposals advanced in the 2010s, and construction began in 2017 on land west of the Coliseum. Megawide Construction Corporation served as general contractor, while Aidea was engaged for architecture. The building topped out in February 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction and the planned opening. Design revisions and changing construction conditions also affected the project’s schedule and cost structure. Gateway Mall 2 opened partially in April 2023 and expanded its operations later that year. The eight-storey development added substantial retail floor area and more than 500 planned shops, including a large food-and-beverage component. Its attractions include The Lagoon, Quantum Skyview, Asian Village, the Pop Culture Center, Paeng’s Gateway Bowl, World Kitchens, Sensory Gardens, and Sagrada Familia Church. It is also integrated with the Ibis Styles Araneta City hotel and the wider Gateway Square complex. Today, Gateway Mall comprises the original mall and its major expansion within a wider mixed-use campus. Its business model combines retail leasing with dining, cinema, cultural, entertainment, hotel, event, and transit-oriented uses. The property is particularly important during events at the adjacent Smart Araneta Coliseum, while its rail and pedestrian connections support steady commuter and shopper traffic.
- 2023
Gateway Mall 2 opens
[1]The expansion began partial operations in April and became fully operational later in 2023 as part of the Gateway Square complex.
- 2020
New Gateway tops out
[1]Gateway Mall 2 reached its structural topping-out stage in February 2020, shortly before pandemic-related disruption affected the project.
- 2017
Gateway Mall 2 construction starts
[1]Construction began on the New Gateway expansion west of the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
- 2013
Gateway Mall adds connected retail space
[1]An expansion added approximately 15,000 square metres of retail space and strengthened the mall’s connection to Gateway Tower.
- 2004
Original Gateway Mall opens
[1]Gateway Mall opened to the public on October 15, establishing a new retail and entertainment anchor beside the Araneta Coliseum.
- 2002
Gateway Mall construction begins
[1]The first Gateway Mall broke ground in 2002 as the initial major property under the Araneta Center redevelopment plan.
- 2001
Former commercial buildings are cleared
[1]The Aurora Shopping Arcade, Quezon Arcade, and Plaza Fair properties on the future mall site were demolished or cleared for redevelopment.
- 2000
Araneta Center redevelopment master plan takes shape
[1]Gateway Mall was identified within a long-term redevelopment program for Araneta Center, then envisioned as a major mixed-use district.
Products and positioning
An integrated, transit-connected lifestyle and entertainment destination anchored by retail, dining, cinemas, leisure attractions, cultural programming, hotels, and direct access to the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Shopping mall · 2004
Gateway Mall 1
The original Gateway building is a multilevel enclosed mall with fashion, electronics, grocery, beauty, dining, and service tenants. Its principal experiences include the Coliseum Circle glass pavilion, Courtyard restaurants, The Oasis indoor garden, rooftop greenery, The Gateway Gallery, activity spaces, and the Gateway Cineplex. It is directly connected to several Araneta City facilities and nearby transport links.
Shopping, dining, and leisure expansion · 2023
Gateway Mall 2
Gateway Mall 2, also called New Gateway, is an eight-storey expansion west of the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It adds large-scale retail and food-and-beverage space together with leisure and cultural amenities, including The Lagoon, Quantum Skyview, Asian Village, World Kitchens, the Pop Culture Center, Paeng’s Gateway Bowl, Sensory Gardens, and Sagrada Familia Church.
Cinema and entertainment · 2004
Gateway Cineplex
Gateway Cineplex is the mall’s cinema complex. The original facility included ten cinemas, an illuminated lobby, a large auditorium, and a Platinum Cinema. Gateway Mall 2 expanded the cineplex concept as part of the new mall’s entertainment program.
Mixed-use retail and hospitality complex · 2023
Gateway Square
Gateway Square is the broader mixed-use complex containing Gateway Mall 1, Gateway Mall 2, Gateway Tower, Gateway Office Building, hotel facilities, parking, and connections to the Araneta Coliseum and other Araneta City properties. Its program combines retail, dining, entertainment, lodging, offices, and pedestrian infrastructure.
Brand decisions
2020
Adapt Gateway Mall 2 during pandemic disruptionStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted construction schedules and the planned opening of the new mall and adjacent hotel.
Action taken
The development schedule was extended and design and construction arrangements were revised before the eventual phased opening.
Aftermath
The mall opened partially in April 2023 and reached broader operations later that year.
2017
Develop Gateway Mall 2Generation changeBackground
The original Gateway Mall was to be complemented by a larger western expansion as part of the continuing Araneta Center redevelopment program.
Action taken
Construction began on an eight-storey expansion incorporating new retail, dining, leisure, entertainment, and hotel connections.
Aftermath
Gateway Mall 2 partially opened in 2023 and broadened the complex’s tenant and visitor offer.
Reported project cost. (2017-2023)
2002
Launch Gateway as the first major Araneta Center redevelopment projectStrategyBackground
Araneta Group sought to renew its Cubao estate through a coordinated master plan involving retail, entertainment, transport, offices, residences, and hotels.
Action taken
The group commissioned a major mall beside the Araneta Coliseum and designed it with links to surrounding properties and rail infrastructure.
Aftermath
Gateway Mall opened in 2004 and became a foundation for subsequent Araneta City development.
Recent events
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