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Apple's 2nd Beijing store to use classic Chinese design (photos)

An architect's portfolio has purportedly revealed a very different design Apple's second retail store for China's capital city — one that would embrace ancient traditions while thriving on the Mac maker's signature glass and metal.

Shanghai-dwelling but American-born designer Benjamin Wood's portfolio shows several 3D renderings of the new Beijing location, which he describes as "in progress."

Noted by readers of ifo Apple Store the three-storey building on Qianmen Street would be dominated by very traditional Chinese architecture for its 100-foot length with historical roofing and dark wood supports; one end would be rounded off. In the middle, however, would be the glass facade now familiar with Apple's flagship stores as well as a prominent, hanging Apple logo.

Inside, the store would again be a mix of old and new with wood supports but Apple's distinctive spiral glass staircase and swaths of metal.

The location is reportedly scheduled to open as soon as this fall and would stand in stark opposition to the Sanlitun store. Where the Qianmen Street store would potentially open just a few blocks away from Tiananmen Square and would more likely have to conform to longstanding Chinese appearances, the Sanlitun building is located in a hyper-modern shopping district and abandons many of Apple's familiar rules for the shape and size of its retail outlets.

Renderings of the new store follow below.

Qianmen Street store angle render



31 Comments

saarek 17 Years · 1594 comments

I really like it, I tend to lean towards old architecture rather than new so this is a pleasent surprise.

paulchsieh 18 Years · 8 comments

This is what went wrong - using American Born architect to design ??? Come on, there are plenty of local architects who can do a much better job.

Chinese architecture needs to be inert, the glass facade is like a open heart surgery, it is very rude. There is a Chinese design called Moon Gate, Apple should come up with an Apple Gate since its curvy shape already look like a full moon.

delreyjones 18 Years · 337 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulchsieh

This is what went wrong - using American Born architect to design ??? Come on, there are plenty of local architects who can do a much better job.

Chinese architecture needs to be inert, the glass facade is like a open heart surgery, it is very rude. There is a Chinese design called Moon Gate, Apple should come up with an Apple Gate since its curvy shape already look like a full moon.

I agree. The photos make it look anything but organic. I can't imagine Jonathan Ive creating anything with this kind of rude gestalt.

lightstriker 17 Years · 457 comments

that glass facade in the middle just stick out like a sore thumb. Why is apple doing this when China's major cities's skyscapers are western modern style, glass and steel. They should make the whole thing a glass cube. China unlike Chicago(?) is not force Apple's design to match its surroundings.

fast fred 1 18 Years · 291 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by lightstriker

that glass facade in the middle just stick out like a sore thumb. Why is apple doing this when China's major cities's skyscapers are western modern style, glass and steel. They should make the whole thing a glass cube. China unlike Chicago(?) is not force Apple's design to match its surroundings.

The other store,..... is a glass box.

And with two stores you get .....errr fried rice?