Just in time for holiday shopping, Apple is taking advantage of the hype around its launches this year to inaugurate (and re-open) some retail stores around the world.
Last Saturday, the Cupertino giant opened its first store in Thailand and reopened the doors of the famous Apple Covent Gardenin London (in the United Kingdom), in addition to Apple Southlake Town Square (in Texas).
Thailand
The first official Apple store in Thailand (in Bangkok) was opened last Saturday (10/11).
Announced in late October, the Apple Iconsiam is located in the new shopping center of the same name, opened one day before the Apple store.
Thank you to our passionate Thai customers who helped us celebrate our first store in Thailand today! We are so excited to be a part of your community in Bangkok. #AppleIconsiam pic.twitter.com/0asFJe9Ztp
– Angela Ahrendts (@AngelaAhrendts) November 10, 2018
Thanks to our passionate Thai customers who helped us celebrate our first store in Thailand today! We are very excited to be part of your community in Bangkok.
? สวัสดี ครับ ชาว กรุงเทพ – Our Thai customers and store team were all smiles today as we opened our first store in Thailand! We’re thrilled to have a new home in the Land of Smiles to share our passion and creativity with the community. pic.twitter.com/prZ1wgItSi
– Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 10, 2018
? Hello, Bangkok – our Thai customers and store staff were all smiling today when we opened our first store in Thailand! We are happy to have a new home in “Terra dos Sorrisos” to share our passion and creativity with the community.
For its first store in Thailand, Apple secured the best property in the mall.
Apple Iconsiam is located in the middle of the complex, just below the main sign of the shopping center.
The store also opens to the second floor (a roof) supported by largest pillared glass facade in the world – which gives a surreal view to the Chao Phraya river.
One of Apple’s partners, Hermès, occupies the store downstairs.
Designed by Foster + Partner, who works with Apple in the construction of other Apple Stores around the world, the site has a stone portal that takes customers to a lush garden on the store’s terrace – where they can admire the landscape or visit a store. sessions Today at Apple, including the session “New Beginnings” (“New Beginnings”), developed especially for Apple Iconsiam.
Inside the store, a spacious forum offers all the free Apple project programs, located between 12 trees that line the sides of Genius Grove and the store’s gigantic 6K panel.
Check out some photos of the store opening:
Project for Apple store in Stockholm
The project was not judged negatively only by city politicians: the general public also did not support the choice of the Apple Store building site, with about 1,800 responses from citizens (almost all against Apple’s plans).
Just like the case in Melbourne (Australia), what disturbs Apple in Stockholm are its design plans in partnership with Foster + Partners, as described by editor Dan Hallemar, from Arkitektur (Sweden’s leading architecture magazine):
He [o projeto] it takes all the energy and aura out of the public space and adds nothing.
It’s like a parasite.
Apple, however, still owns the building rights on Kungsträdgården square, as highlighted by AppleInsider; therefore, there is a chance that the company may fight at higher levels to build the store there – or else abandon these plans, as public opinion must be considered.
London
As we mentioned last month, the company’s main store in London, the Apple Covent Garden, was closed in July this year for renovations.
After almost four months of renovations, the point was reopened with an updated design in line with the company’s new “standard” – but without losing the historic character of the place.
The reopening coincided with the launch of the iPhone XR and the series of creative sessions from Today at Apple which will be offered to Londoners this month, who will also be presented with musical performances and other activities.
As we said, the company maintained some historical elements of the building, built in the 19th century, such as exposed bricks, arches and vaulted ceilings.
Both the famous glass staircases (one of them in a spiral) were also maintained.
Basically, the changes are – in addition to those in the structure – the updating of the store’s equipment, such as new tables and displays.
The forum, positioned in the center of the flagship, features a new 355-inch 8K panel for visitors to see through the arches as soon as they enter the Apple Store.
Around this environment, there are six potted trees, armchairs and benches upholstered in brown leather – a new design element present, until then, only in some Apple stores.
Here is a photo gallery shared by 9to5Mac:
Texas
We also inform you that the Apple Southlake Town Square it was closed for renovations last March.
Last week, the store was reopened – in time for the launch of the new iPad Pro and Macs – and includes some new special details.
While the latest Apple stores in open-air shopping malls have a textured stone facade and a ceiling lined with light panels, the renovated Southlake store has a wooden paneled ceiling and an all-glass facade, giving the impression of a more comfortable and natural place (like the new store in Thailand).
Inside, Apple installed a new panel that will assist in conducting the sessions Today at Apple.
In the US, currently six Apple stores are under renovation, including the famous retail of the glass cube on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Paris
Apple finally released the official opening date for its new store in Paris (France), located at Avenue Champs-Élysées.
The store will open on November 18, next Monday, and will replace the Apple Carrousel du Louvre, permanently closed last month.
THE Apple Champs-Élysées it has one of the largest company forums in Europe and will be the “headquarters” of Apple on the continent.
THE flagship was briefly shown during the last special Apple event last month, with the announcement of the arrival of 60 new sessions of Today at Apple.
In the days following the inauguration, Apple will offer a series of sessions from its program exclusive to Paris.
Among these, live art sessions will take place with the artists who decorated the store’s facade and a music laboratory with artists Sônge and Myd, in addition to musical performances.
via 9to5Mac: 1, 2, 3, 4
