Shane Cole
Apple's two-year-long effort to restore Brisbane's historic MacArthur Chambers building has borne fruit with the opening of the company's newest Australian flagship store, and new pictures offer a closer look at the efforts made to restore the building.
Photographs taken at a pre-opening press availability last week by Australian publication Reckoner reveal the meticulous nature of the restoration, which extends all the way to the individually-polished marble tiles that form a mosaic at the store's entrance.
The store's mezzanine level was also overhauled, though there appear to be no plans to open it to the public at this point. Apple removed and restored the mezzanine's original wooden railing.
Apple appears to have taken great care not to overwhelm the store's historic touches with modern upgrades. The acoustic dampeners and LED-backlit displays have been custom-made to fit in with the store's architectural features.
Plans for the store were first revealed in 2011 with an estimated cost for the renovation of nearly $12 million. The 1930s-era building served as the area headquarters for U.S. general Douglas MacArthur during World War II.
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13 Comments
This is like the Barcelona store in that I don't see an easy way for physically impaired or wheelchair-bound customers to access. Accessibility in iOS is great if you can actually get into the store to buy the product.
I love the way Apple respects a city's architecture.
I can't remember which famous architect said it, "we get the architecture we deserve." He was talking about modern architecture. I think.
With most modern buildings I can't tell if they're an office building, school or a cyanide factory.
Best!
[quote name="Ireland" url="/t/161722/photos-show-painstaking-building-restorations-completed-at-apples-new-brisbane-australia-store#post_2461494"]This is like the Barcelona store in that I don't see an easy way for physically impaired or wheelchair-bound customers to access. Accessibility in iOS is great if you can actually get into the store to buy the product.[/quote] I hear you on this one. For what it's worth, I believe the entrance on the other side is part of a shopping mall, and the entrance on that end is accessible. Maybe that's where they expect most people to enter, where as the street front side is to be more of an advertisement for car traffic. I'm not sure though, as I've never been to Brisbane. In the end, it's not an ideal solution, and I'm sure is a pain for some people who can't do stairs. But maybe it wasn't feasible to demolish walls, columns, etc. to make room for a ramp given the historic nature of the building and the fact that it sits right at the edge of a public sidewalk. It can be tricky since the architects aren't dealing with a clean slate to work from. One thing's for sure though.......there'd be no way my 73 yr old mother could make it up those stairs with her arthritic knees.
[quote name="Ireland" url="/t/161722/photos-show-painstaking-building-restorations-completed-at-apples-new-brisbane-australia-store#post_2461494"]This is like the Barcelona store in that I don't see an easy way for physically impaired or wheelchair-bound customers to access. Accessibility in iOS is great if you can actually get into the store to buy the product.[/quote] Looks like somebody is cranky today. The stores look pretty amazing to me. I'm glad Apple works hard not to change the fundamental structure of important historic buildings. [quote name="christopher126" url="/t/161722/photos-show-painstaking-building-restorations-completed-at-apples-new-brisbane-australia-store#post_2461505"]I love the way Apple respects a city's architecture. I can't remember which famous architect said it, "we get the architecture we deserve." He was talking about modern architecture. I think. With most modern buildings I can't tell if they're an office building, school or a cyanide factory. Best! [/quote] I like that quote. I tried to find the author, but struck out. I think modern architecture had good intentions, but resulted in some tragically bad buildings, particularly the socialist-inspired housing projects. I think Apple has proven modernist architecture can work, as long as it is executed perfectly, and in the appropriate context, where minimalism and neutrality are a desirable (e.g. Museums, Apple stores, public venues).
This is like the Barcelona store in that I don't see an easy way for physically impaired or wheelchair-bound customers to access. Accessibility in iOS is great if you can actually get into the store to buy the product.
The mall entrance on the opposite side is accessible. There's also an elevator in the building.
Not a big deal.
Note: many industrialized countries have regulations concerning accessibility, the USA is pretty good on that front. My guess is that Australia has similar laws. With passing years, the regulations get more stringent, not more lenient.
Being in a hilly town like San Francisco does not exempt businesses from following regulations. In fact, there are certain law firms that earn their living by suing businesses for not being compliant with accessibility laws.