INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
After two years of work, the wrapper comes off the giant glass cube this week, as Apple Fifth Avenue flagship opens to the public this
The big reveal coincides with the company latest releases, including new iPhones and an Apple Watch — an appropriately grandiose
This morning, the company offered a sneak preview to select media, ourselves included
Apple pulled back the curtain as a handful of curious onlookers stood by on the sidewalk
The cube itself appears largely unchanged, aside from a new shine
The colorful concealer wrap was, sadly, just temporary.
But then, why mess with what become a New York City landmark in its decade and a
half of existence? The store is positioned in one of the most highly trafficked corners of the city, at the southeast corner of Central
Park, directly across from the Plaza (and perhaps less attractively to some, two blocks north of a certain presidential tower)
Until a few years back, it fittingly shared the square with the iconic FAO Schwarz.
Now, however, Apple completely taken over the space
The plaza surrounding the cube has changed a good deal to accommodate a new lighting system that leverages a combination of sunlight and the
More on that here.
Natural lighting is the key to Apple remodeled Fifth Ave
store
Underground, the store occupies the full area of the plaza, as well
That extra space allows for a larger Genius Bar that stretches the length of the store and a special HomePod listening area sealed behind
glass that brings to mind the once-popular world of hi-fi stereo stores.
Most surprising, the signature spiral staircase is no longer
The steps now have a stainless steel covering — for safety purposes, one assumes
One attendee this morning confided to me that he nearly bit it walking down the steps the first time he visited the store
As cool as the glass looked, it always felt like a disaster waiting to happen whenever it rained
As promised, the lighting system was employed to great effect
It a cool combination, the sunlight streaming through the fogged portholes along with the lighting rings around them
Check the reflection below:
The sunlight, in turn, is used by eight full-sized trees divided in two rows on the east and west sides of the
store, along with a long, live green wall to the east (near the AirPods, FWIW)
It also apparently the coolest during sunrise and sunset when it takes on a glowing effect.
The new store opens to public this Friday at
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