Apple developing new all-glass French store in Aix en Provence
According to report by retail tracker IFO Apple Store, the new location will replace an existing brick building on the south side of Place du General de Gaulle, and is designed to integrate into the plaza's surrounding upscale shops from international retailers.
Apple's new South of France location is located just north of Marseille, providing pleasant Mediterranean weather and significant tourism traffic. The new store is expected to be completed later this year or early next year.
The store's rendering, published by AixEnProvence.fr, depicts the nearly all glass, one story building on a stone plaza with only a minimal ceiling and a rear wall apparently finished with blonde wood.
The rear section of the building appears to incorporate offices and storage similar to the existing design of New York City's Upper West Side retail store, albeit on a much smaller scale.
IFO Apple Store also reported on plans for a new retail store in Basel, Switzerland as detailed in the German language MacPrime.ch. That project plans to demolish an existing building and replace it, making it reportedly unlikely to open before next year.
27 Comments
And combined with the new waterproofing thing from that other story, eventually there won't be Apple Stores at all, just tables set up in the wilderness with Apple products on them and a blue-shirted associate standing by for your money.
Apple is developing a futuristic new retail store design for Aix en Provence, France which creates an outdoor appearance using a wraparound transparent glass facade around three sides of the building....
Personally, I think that looks hideous and completely impractical. There doesn't appear to be enough space to provide for roof supports for starters.
However, considering this isn't an official Apple announcement and the image may not even be from Apple either, I am cautiously optimistic.
Very dramatic. It's nice to see Apple pushing the boundaries of store design. From a safety and structural point of view, would not be too hard to drive a stolen car right through that glass in the middle of the night to steal a few prized tidbits.
Would be great to see the finished building. Apple is making their stores out to be tourist attractions.
Way cool. There must be some kind of demarcation to prevent people from walking into the glass I guess, but it looks great.
I'm sure they will install waist high pillars strategically around the outside of the structure to prevent cars from doing this. This is common practice for buildings with large glass entrances.
Very dramatic. It's nice to see Apple pushing the boundaries of store design. From a safety and structural point of view, would not be too hard to drive a stolen car right through that glass in the middle of the night to steal a few prized tidbits.
Would be great to see the finished building. Apple is making their stores out to be tourist attractions.