We got a first look inside the newly opened expansion wing of SM City Davao—and it’s a bold new chapter for one of the city’s most visited malls.
Photo: Wim in Davao
The seven-level building officially opened on July 29, introducing new retail and dining spaces, expanded indoor parking, and a unique addition that goes beyond shopping: a full university campus set to rise on the upper floors.
With this development, SM City Davao becomes the largest SM mall in Mindanao to date.
What’s Inside the Expansion Wing
Photo: WIM in Davao
The first two floors are now open to the public, featuring a mix of lifestyle, fashion, and food brands. Some of the standout names already operating in the new wing include:
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Nanyang
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Brique Modern Kitchen
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Good One Café & Yogurt
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Flying Tiger Copenhagen
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Juego
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Anta
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Rudy Project
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Cole Haan
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Chikaan
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Starbucks
Several more brands are confirmed to open soon, including Coach, Chili’s, The Matcha Tokyo, Buffet 101’s King’s Feast, Sushi Station, Hedgren, Yucca Café, and the Gashapon Bandai Official store.
This mix of first-in-Davao concepts and established names signals SM Davao’s continued push to lead the mall scene in the region.
A Campus Inside a Mall?
One of the most notable features of the new wing is the future launch of the National University in Davao. Once completed, the top floors of the building will serve as NU’s first campus in Mindanao, integrating education into a major retail environment.
This development reflects a growing trend among large-scale malls in the Philippines to evolve into multi-use spaces that serve not just shoppers, but students, professionals, and communities at large.
Parking and Accessibility
The expansion adds three levels of indoor parking with capacity for around 1,000 vehicles. This solves one of the mall’s most significant pain points during weekends and holidays, especially for visitors coming from other parts of Davao.
Pedestrian access between the main mall, Annex, and expansion is also seamless across all levels, allowing smoother foot traffic and mall navigation.
Design That Reflects Davao
Designed by architect Royal Pineda, the structure is sleek, modern, and intentionally open. The design takes subtle inspiration from Davao’s natural landscapes and homegrown identity, with wide corridors, clean lines, and curated art elements throughout the space.
It’s a distinct visual shift from SM’s older wings, signaling a move toward more curated, lifestyle-forward experiences.
Beyond Retail: A Look at What’s Ahead
This isn’t just a mall getting bigger—it’s a complete rethinking of what mall spaces can be. The expansion brings in new brands, solves practical problems like parking, and adds a university into the mix. It reflects how Davao’s retail landscape is growing smarter, more intentional, and more inclusive.
Whether you’re dropping by to check out the new cafés, shopping for hard-to-find lifestyle brands, or keeping an eye out for NU’s opening, SM Davao’s new wing is the kind of development that sets the tone for what’s next.
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