Apple to build new 'prototype' retail store in Palo Alto, Calif.
The intriguing details of a new design were revealed in a letter to city officials from the project's developer. "The proposed store is a new prototype for the applicant," the memo said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "Fully half the function of the store serves to provide education and service to business as well as customer patrons in addition to product sales. The store is a commons for the applicant's community to gather."
A proposal approved 3-0 by the Palo Alto architectural review board describes a building entirely transparent at ground level with trees growing inside. Skylights above would allow natural lighting in the store, and also allow the trees to grow. Apple was never mentioned in conjunction with the project, and the company has declined to comment, but sources have said the plans are for a new Apple Store.
"(The glass storefront) dissolves the boundary that traditional store facades create," the memo reads. "By not breaking the horizontal ground plane of the sidewalk with opaque wall or landscape element, for example, the street is made part of the store's interior; the pedestrian is in the store before entering it."
Bicycle and newspaper racks and a trash bin in front of the store will also be relocated to help create a clean, simple aesthetic.
Apple allegedly plans to close its existing Palo Alto retail store and move it to the new location at 340 University Ave. The site is currently home to an 86-year-old building that used to be a grocery store and a furniture gallery. The existing facade and roof will reportedly be demolished to make way for the new 10,700 square foot store.
The architect is said to be Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, which is the same firm responsible for all of Apple retail locations, including flagship stores in Philadelphia, Chicago, Osaka, Japan, and the iconic Fifth Ave glass cube in New York City.
The closing of the existing Palo Alto store would be significant, as it is a landmark retail outfit for Apple. First opened in October 2001, it was the first street-level Apple Store, according to ifoAppleStore. It was also the ninth retail outfit the Cupertino, Calif., company built.
The existing Palo Alto store is about 20 minutes from Apple's campus at 1 Infinite Loop. When the iPhone first launched in 2007, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs himself made an appearance and spoke with programmers Andy Hertzfeld and Bill Atkinson.
36 Comments
We need an Apple Store in Thailand!!!!! iStudio s@cks!!!
I don't know the general state of Mac user groups these days, as I haven't been active for over fifteen years, but I remember having to move our venue several times. It would seem ideal for Apple to be providing its own venue for this kind of activity.
Bicycle and newspaper racks and a trash bin in front of the store will also be relocated to help create a clean, simple aesthetic.
This is so Apple. What other company do you know of that uses the words "clean, simple aesthetic." when describing their need to remove bike racks in front of the store.
"The proposed store is a new prototype for the applicant," the memo said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "Fully half the function of the store serves to provide education and service to business as well as customer patrons in addition to product sales. The store is a commons for the applicant's community to gather."
A proposal approved 3-0 by the Palo Alto architectural review board describes a building entirely transparent at ground level with trees growing inside. Skylights above would allow natural lighting in the store, and also allow the trees to grow.
This sounds awesome. That is about the most beautiful store I've ever seen/conceptualized (and I'm not just saying that because it's Apple).
I wish they would build another store in Delaware. The closest one to me is 1 1/2 hours away, and a bit small.
"(The glass storefront) dissolves the boundary that traditional store facades create," the memo reads. "By not breaking the horizontal ground plane of the sidewalk with opaque wall or landscape element, for example, the street is made part of the store's interior; the pedestrian is in the store before entering it."
This is the one kind of funny part. I am in before I enter... Just a bit idealized. But hey, I know they'll do it right, if anyone will.
I don't know the general state of Mac user groups these days ...
Oh, they're still around:
http://www.apple.com/usergroups/
The one in Orlando, Florida has several loosely connected SIGs, including InDesign, FileMaker Pro, iPhone, lunch, and one whereby older Macs are fixed up and donated to nonprofits. In the age of the Internet, these groups are struggling, as depicted in the movie MacHEADS. They absolutely must focus on benefits that cannot be provided via the Intenet.
Oddly enough, it's these user group members, the Apple faithful, who helped save Apple from certain death in the 90s.
The Orlando group's newsletter:
http://homepage.mac.com/flmug_orland...ter_200912.pdf
http://homepage.mac.com/flmug_orland...ter_201001.pdf
I don't know the general state of Mac user groups these days, as I haven't been active for over fifteen years, but I remember having to move our venue several times. It would seem ideal for Apple to be providing its own venue for this kind of activity.
Taking over the old Z Gallerie location, eh? There aren't a lot of large retail lots in downtown Palo Alto, so this would certainly be a step up from their current location (formerly a music store and for a short while a kitchen store).
When Apple is talking about their "community", I don't think they intend to host traditional third-party user groups.
More likely, they might build in an area to run developer workshops: the people who create the content (apps) that drives sales of Apple hardware (iPhones, iPod touches, the phantom tablet, etc.). With so many engineers and high-tech startups in the area, that would make better strategic sense rather than solely training beginner consumers on using iPhoto (admittedly they would accommodate both consumers and developers).