Apple's new store in Dubai changes shape and temperature based on the city's volatile weather
Going to an Apple Store is a pretty cookie-cutter experience.
Step into one of the sleek shops and you'll find white walls, gadgets displayed on long wood tables, and the Apple logo lit up overhead.
The tech giant has broken away from the mold with its newest store, a glittering brick-and-mortar shop in Dubai that changes shape and temperature based on the city's volatile weather.
The Apple Dubai Mall location features an automated, motorized system of windows that help keep the store cool while cutting air conditioning costs. Eighteen 37-foot-high panels fan open and close over the course of a day, cooling the store when the sun is hottest and allowing shoppers to walk on to a public terrace in the evening.
The so-called "Solar Wings" are made from 340 carbon fiber-reinforced polymer rods. In a press release, Apple says the panels make up "one of the world's largest kinetic art installations."
Dubai is known for having two seasons: hot and hotter. The coldest month of the year reaches an average temperature of 75 degrees. Still, sandstorms, rain, and gusty winds are unpredictable. Apple considered the climate when designing its second Dubai store.
The new location at the Dubai Mall sits in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. At night, shoppers can watch the choreographed displays at the Dubai Fountain.
Apple Dubai Mall will also host live music events, fireside chats with filmmakers and photographers, and workshops where store employees teach creative skills in photography, video, music, and more. The programming is part of a new "Today at Apple" campaign that will roll out to 495 Apple Store locations worldwide next month.