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The 15 coolest Apple stores in the world, from New York's Grand Central Station to London's Regent Street
The 15 coolest Apple stores in the world, from New York's Grand Central Station to London's Regent Street
Meira GebelFeb 1, 2019, 02:27 IST
Apple
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Apple operates more than 500 retail stores in 25 countries, with each location raking in millions of dollars every year - more revenue per square foot than any other US retailer
The company prides itself on each store's remarkable design quality. Many are located in historic buildings, like a once-famed opera house and New York City's Grand Central Terminal.
Here are the 15 coolest Apple stores around the world.
Apple's design is what has made it so successful: user-friendly and increasingly appealing, with sleek lines and crisp whites. That philosophy extends to its retail stores, too.
Inside, all of the stores look pretty much the same - Apple trademarked its store layout in 2013 - but each one offers its own unique look from the outside. Many stores are located in famed sites and historic buildings: Take, for example, Apple's location in an old bank building just across the street from a distinguished opera house in Paris, or its space in New York City's Grand Central Station.
Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of retail, has a vision for Apple stores: "A combination of experience and human connection," she told Vogue Business earlier this month. Ahrendts is the former CEO of Burberry and joined the tech company in 2013, a sign Apple has no plans to slow its retail ventures.
Apple now operates more than 500 retail stores in 25 countries, so it is likely wherever you go, there is an Apple store a short walk down the street.
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Take a look at 15 of Apple's coolest spaces worldwide:
Apple's first store in Southeast Asia opened in Singapore in early 2017. The 120-foot glass facade blurs inside and out, and 16 trees add to the city’s already lush greenery.
Its location on Orchard Road is also home to a plethora of other shopping malls — it's known as the shopping belt of the city.
The store features “Solar Wings” that respond to the city's hot climate, shifting to cool down the space when temperatures rise.
The wings are made from 340 carbon fiber reinforced polymer rods, and at 180 feet wide, the 18 panels make it one of the world’s largest kinetic art installations.
Apple reportedly paid $2.5 million to renovate space in New York's iconic Grand Central Terminal. That is on top of the $5 million it reportedly paid to buy out the previous tenant.
The store on New York's Fifth Avenue consists of a 32-foot glass cube that's entirely self-supporting. A glass staircase leads into the store below.
The iconic cube has been closed for the last two years, and Apple has been using a more traditional retail space nearby while renovations are done. However, the store is set to re-open this year.
The cube is one of eight Apple stores in New York City.
Inside, you will find a typical looking Apple store, but with a historic feel. White pillars stand strikingly tall, and black balcony railings cut through the space. Light shines down through a large-scale skylight.
In Berlin, Apple installed a store in an opera house that dates back to 1913.
With walls made of limestone from a local quarry, and thick German oak tables, this store shows Apple's appreciation of historic spaces and their cultural significance.
In Chicago, Apple is beginning to dive into what it calls "a new generation" of its retail locations.
The newest Midwest store connects North Michigan Avenue, Pioneer Court, and the Chicago River. Apple plans on having the store serve as a space for the local community.
The building’s 111-by-98 foot, carbon-fiber roof was designed to be as thin as possible and is supported by four interior pillars that allow for 32-foot glass facades.
"Apple Michigan Avenue is about removing boundaries between inside and outside, reviving important urban connections within the city," said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer.
Apple opened its first store in Kyoto, Japan, last summer on Shijō Dori, the city's main technological and retail hub since the 1600s.
The building's architecture is meant to take inspiration from Japanese lanterns and features a multi-level atrium that will host the company's Today at Apple sessions.
