Gateway Square
| Gateway Square | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hotel chain | Novotel Ibis Styles |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Contemporary architecture |
| Address | Araneta City, Cubao |
| Town or city | Quezon City |
| Country | Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°37′14″N 121°3′12″E / 14.62056°N 121.05333°E |
| Construction started | 2002 |
| Completed | 2024 |
| Opened |
|
| Owner | Araneta Group |
| Management | Gateway Malls: Araneta City, Inc. Gateway Tower: Araneta City, Inc. Araneta Coliseum: Progressive Development Corporation Novotel & Ibis Styles Hotels: Araneta Hotels, Inc. |
| Height | Gateway Tower: 127 m (416.67 ft) Novotel:85 m (278.9 ft) Ibis Styles: 84.86 m (278.4 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | Gateway Mall 1: 6 upper + 3 basement Gateway Mall 2: 8 upper + 3 basement Basement Parking: 3 Parking Garage South : 5 upper + 3 basement Gateway Tower: 31 + 3 basement Novotel: 24 + 3 basement Ibis Styles: 22 + 3 basement |
| Floor area | 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 28 |
| Grounds | 5 hectares (12 acres) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | RTKL Associates Palafox Associates Aidea (Gateway Mall 2 & Ibis Styles Hotel) |
| Developer | Araneta City, Inc |
| Main contractor | CE Construction Corporation (Gateway Mall 1) Design Coordinates, Inc. (DCI) Construction (Gateway Tower) EEI Corporation (Novotel Manila Araneta City) Megawide Construction Corporation (Gateway Mall 2 and Ibis Styles Araneta City) Stages, Design and Construction (Gateway Mall 2 and Ibis Styles Araneta City) |
| Other information | |
| Number of stores | 400+ (expected) |
| Number of rooms | Novotel Manila Araneta City: 401 Ibis Styles Araneta City :286 |
| Parking | 3,100 slots |
| Public transit access |   Araneta Center-Cubao 3 Araneta Center-Cubao 51 53 61 Farmers Plaza 3 LRT 2-Gateway Mall UBE Araneta City Bus Port  1 Cubao |
| Website | |
| gatewaysquare | |
The Gateway Square is a transit oriented, mixed-use development located within the Araneta City complex in Cubao, Quezon City. The development was developed by the Araneta City, Inc. (ACI), a subsidiary of the Araneta Group. Located across the Farmers Plaza mall, the Farmers Market, the Araneta City Cyberpark complex, the Fiesta Carnival and the New Frontier Theater, the complex occupies the occupies the buildings around the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Gateway Malls, and combines malls, offices, hotels, a sports arena and parking spaces within a single space, while having additional leisure amenities placed within the complex, such as cinemas, restaurants, rooftop gardens, and convention and event spaces, as well as an art museum, a bowling alley, a church, a rooftop bar, and a supermarket. Construction of the complex began in October 2002 with the groundbreaking of the Gateway Mall 1 and was developed into various phases until its completion in September 2024 with the completion of the Ibis Styles Araneta City.
History
[edit]The Gateway Square occupies 5 hectares (12 acres) of the Araneta City complex and occupies the areas surrounding the Smart Araneta Coliseum's surrounding areas, such as the Araneta Coliseum open parking areas located along General Araneta, General Mc Arthur, and General Aguinaldo Avenues, the Gateway Food Park, and the former Gateway-Farmers Plaza footbridge, which connects the Gateway Mall 1 to the nearby Farmers Plaza mall and offers a direct connection to the MRT 3 Araneta Center–Cubao station. The development serves as part of the Araneta Center Redevelopment Master Plan unveiled in 2000, aimed to redevelop the Araneta Center, currently rebranded as the Araneta City, with the construction of a variety of new malls, office buildings, hotels, residential towers, and other new mixed-use properties, as well as the renovation of the Araneta Coliseum.[1] One of the first plans laid out within the area within the 2000s is a mixed-use development located along the stretch of General Aguinaldo Avenue and General Mc Arthur Avenues, which also passes along General Araneta Avenue, where the current site of the Novotel up to the area where Farmers Market is currently located. The plan includes two high-rise towers along with a mall encompassing the southern side of the Araneta Coliseum, three mid-rise towers, and also includes a planned Piazza where Farmers Market currently stands. The plan was eventually scrapped in the 2010s as the present layout of the complex was favored.
Construction within the complex began in October 2002 with the groundbreaking of the Gateway Mall 1 after the demolition of the area's former buildings, such as the Aurora Shopping Arcade, the Quezon Arcade and the Plaza Fair department store.[2][3] Additional developments were later constructed in the following years after the completion of the Gateway Mall 1 on 2004, as part of the next phases of the redevelopment master plan, such as the construction of the Gateway Office Building in 2005, aimed to cater the rising business process outsourcing market in the country in the early 2000s, the construction of the Parking Garage South in 2012, and the renovation of the Araneta Coliseum in 2012, which was aimed to modernize the coliseum's facilities and amenities.[4]
In 2008, after years of negotiations and finalized plans to construct a 4-star hotel in the area, the Araneta Group launched the Novotel Manila Araneta City, and later serves as one of the crown jewel projects in the area.[5] Two years later, in 2010, construction for both the Gateway Gateway Tower and the Novotel Manila Araneta City began. Both buildings were eventually completed in 2014, while the Novotel began its operations on the following year in 2015.[6]
The final stages of the complex was laid out in 2014, during the planning stages of the Gateway Mall 2, the expansion project of the Gateway Mall 1 and the Ibis Styles Araneta City.[7] Construction of the Gateway Mall 2 and the Ibis Styles hotel began in 2017, following the closure of the Gateway Food Park and the Araneta Coliseum open parking area located along General Araneta Avenue. Construction officially began with the capsule-laying ceremony of the Gateway Mall 2 and Ibis Styles Hotel on 31 July 2018.[8] The Gateway Mall 2 and Ibis Styles hotel complex was topped off on 11 February 2020, and was initially planned to open within the 4th quarter of 2020, while the Ibis Styles Hotel was aimed to begin full operations in early 2021.[9] The opening of the Gateway Mall 2 and Ibis Styles Hotel was later delayed due to the effects of the lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the costing issues within the construction of the buildings along the Araneta City between the Araneta Group and Megawide.[10][11] The delays also caused design changes and a change in construction matters.
Renovations were also made in the Araneta Coliseum in 2023, as the country hosted the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. As the tournament was held the same period, the Gateway Mall 2 was fully opened on 1 September 2023.[12][13][14][15] In March 2024, the Ibis Styles Hotel was formally opened, and the hotel's full operations began in September 2024.[16]
Properties
[edit]Gateway Square is a named after the Gateway Mall, which serves as the Araneta City's first modern development in the Araneta City Redevelopment Master Plan, and occupies 5 hectares (12 acres) within the complex. The development is a transit-oriented development due to its direct connections to major railway stations, such as the LRT Line 2 Araneta Center–Cubao station from the Gateway Mall 1 and the Gateway Office building, and the MRT Line 3 Araneta Center–Cubao station due to its direct connection to the adjacent Farmers Plaza, and other transport terminals around the complex, such as the jeepney and bus routes serving along Aurora Boulevard located below the LRT 2-Gateway Mall concourse, the Farmers Plaza UV Express terminal, and the Center Avenue UV Express terminal. Other transport terminals within the complex are the Araneta City Jeepney Terminal, the Araneta City Modern Jeepney Terminal, and the Araneta City Bus Port. The development has a total of eight properties and 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) of floor area, which comprises of two malls, two hotels, two office buildings, a sports arena, and a parking garage, designed by RTKL Associates and in collaboration with local architects such as Palafox Associates and Aidea, which serves as the primary architect of the Gateway Mall 2 and the Ibis Styles Hotel.
Gateway Malls
[edit]Gateway Mall 1
[edit]The Gateway Mall 1 is a 6-storey mall standing along General Aguinaldo Avenue, completed in October 2004. The mall serves as the primary flagship mall of the Araneta City which sparked the "renaissance" of the complex. The mall has 100,000 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft) of floor area and houses a variety of both local and international brands, with Rustan's serving as the mall's anchor tenant, and currently houses over 200 shops. Aside from retail spaces, the mall also houses The Oasis, an indoor open-air garden, the Food Express food court, the first ten cinemas of the Gateway Cineplex 18, and The Gateway Gallery. Gateway Mall 1 is also directly connected to the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the LRT 2 Cubao Station, and the Gateway Office.[17]
Gateway Mall 2
[edit]Standing along the western side of the Araneta Coliseum, the Gateway Mall 2 serves as the expansion project of the Gateway Mall. Completed in 2023, the Gateway Mall 2 is a 8-storey mall with 200,000 m2 (2,200,000 sq ft) of floor area and hosts a multitude of shops and dining choices, which includes a Wolfgang's Steakhouse branch, The Lagoon fountain, the Palenque food alley, the Quantum Skyview atrium, the Paeng's Gateway Bowl, the last 8 cinemas of the Gateway Cineplex 18, the World Kitchens food hall, and the Sagrada Familia Church.[18]
Office Buildings
[edit]Gateway Tower
[edit]The Gateway Tower is a 31-storey mixed-use tower rising along General Aguinaldo Avenue. Completed in 2014, the tower has direct connections to the Gateway Mall 1 through the Gateway Tower Mall and the New Frontier Theater through an elevated bridgeway and hosts the Araneta Group and its subsidiary companies, as the tower serves as the company's headquarters. Gateway Tower has a total floor area of over 76,000 m2 (820,000 sq ft) and also caters a variety of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies and also features 3 penthouse levels, and a helipad.[19]
Gateway Office
[edit]Situated along Aurora Boulevard and General Aguinaldo Avenue, the Gateway Office is a 11-storey building completed in 2005, and offers 6,700 m2 (72,000 sq ft) of office spaces. The PEZA-certified building hosts a variety of shops and companies and is directly connected to the Gateway Mall 1 and the LRT 2 Gateway Mall Concourse.[20]
Events Venue
[edit]Smart Araneta Coliseum
[edit]Also known as the "Big Dome" due to its spherical dome in its architectural design, the Smart Araneta Coliseum is an indoor arena located along General Aguinaldo Avenue. Built in 1960, the Coliseum numerous events since its opening, and hosts over 200 events annually.[21] The Coliseum also encountered numerous renovations and upgrades, and its most recent renovation was completed in 2023, as the country hosted the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the opening of new entrances, food alleys, and access points from the adjacent Gateway Mall 2.[22][13]
Hotels
[edit]Novotel Manila Araneta City
[edit]Built and completed in 2014, the Novotel Manila Araneta City is a 24-storey midscale hotel located along General Aguinaldo Avenue and serves as the first Novotel branded hotel in the country. Standing on the southeast corner of the Araneta Coliseum, which formerly serves as a parking lot within the Coliseum, the hotel features designs emphasizing natural light throughout the building and offers 401 rooms. The hotel's amenities include five restaurants, several meeting and function rooms, an open-air events venue, a Premium Lounge offering a wide view of Metro Manila, and a penthouse suite.[23]
Ibis Styles Araneta City
[edit]Standing along General Roxas Avenue, and located on the northwest corner of the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Ibis Styles Araneta City is a budget hotel located adjacent to the Gateway Mall 2. Built and completed in 2024, the hotel serves as the first Ibis Styles branded hotel in the country. The hotel offers 286 rooms, which is divided into 22 rooms per floor, and offers three restaurants, a co-working space with an all-day patisserie, five meeting halls, and a rooftop bar beside a rooftop cantilevered pool.[24][16]
Parking Spaces
[edit]The Gateway Square offers 3,100 parking slots and is interconnected to all buildings throughout its complex through its basement parking levels. The Gateway Mall 1 and the Gateway Mall 2 has three basement parking levels, while the Gateway Mall 1's basement parking is also connected to the Gateway Mall 2's basement parking on Basement level 3. The Gateway Square also features the Parking Garage South, an 8-storey parking garage located along General Mc Arthur Avenue. Completed in August 2012, the Parking Garage South is a weather-proof and state-of-the-art green parking building with 5 aboveground parking levels and three basement parking levels, and features green building initiatives in its design, such as the installation of side planters on the parking garage's facade. [25][26]
References
[edit]- ^ "Araneta Center unveils Gateway Mall". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 14 October 2002. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ Arceo-Dumlao, Tina (26 June 2006). "New malls on the rise". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "New Araneta project to transform Cubao into world-class business district". Philippine Star. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "PBA attendance record set to fall as facelift expands Big Dome's seating capacity". Spin.ph.
- ^ Arceo-Dumlao, Tina (March 5, 2012). "Araneta group launches Novotel hotel project". INQUIRER.net.
- ^ Alpad, Christina (January 8, 2016). "Coming in full swing". The Manila Times. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- ^ "Araneta Group earmarks at least P30-B to transform Araneta Center in Cubao". July 29, 2014.
- ^ Nicolas, Jino (6 August 2018). "Araneta breaks ground on Gateway Mall 2". BusinessWorld Online.
- ^ City, Araneta. "Araneta City tops off The New Gateway". www.aranetacity.com. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ^ "Megawide opposes ACI's counterclaim, plans arbitration filing". BusinessWorld Online. 18 April 2023.
- ^ Lelis, Brix (13 January 2024). "Araneta Group owes P180M to Megawide". The Manila Times.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (24 August 2023). "Araneta Coliseum undergoes major renovations for Fiba World Cup". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ a b Martinez, Araneta City, Jeffrey Enriquez, Denny. "A New Foodies' World awaits at Araneta City's Gateway Mall 2". www.aranetacity.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Cabuag, V. G. (August 1, 2018). "Araneta group spending P6.5 billion for Gateway Mall 2, hotel in Cubao - VG Cabuag". BusinessMirror. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024.
- ^ Songco, Pauline (26 October 2024). "'City of Firsts' celebrates legacy of innovation, transformation". Daily Tribune.
- ^ a b "French brand ibis Styles opens its first hotel in Philippines – with a Filipino touch". RAPPLER. 13 March 2024.
- ^ Martinez, Araneta City, Jeffrey Enriquez, Denny. "Gateway Mall". www.aranetacity.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bracamonte, Earl D. C. "In photos: What's inside the new Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City?". Philstar.com.
- ^ "Gateway Tower". gatewaysquare.com.ph.
- ^ "Gateway Office". gatewaysquare.com.ph.
- ^ Enriquez, Marge C. "From The Archives: Rediscovering The Glory Of The Araneta Center". Tatler Asia.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (24 August 2023). "Araneta Coliseum undergoes major renovations for Fiba World Cup". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ Martinez, Araneta City, Jeffrey Enriquez, Denny. "Novotel Manila Araneta City". www.aranetacity.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Martinez, Araneta City, Jeffrey Enriquez, Denny. "ibis Styles Hotel". www.aranetacity.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Parking Garage South". gatewaysquare.com.ph.
- ^ Juico, Philip Ella. "Araneta Coliseum, now Smart Araneta". Philstar.com.
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