Mike Wuerthele
Apple's plans to restore Washington D.C.'s Carnegie Library into a massive retail presence are moving forward, with the company presenting its plan to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Monday evening.
Apple is planning on more than just an interior renovation for retail. According to the Washington Post, the company will outfit the location in accordance with Apple retail head Angela Ahrendt's vision of retail, and will host free concerts, art exhibits, and educational workshops in the space.
The library's book collection will be relocated, and the space will hold Apple's "Genius Grove." Reading rooms will become product demonstration areas.
"This is a way of creating a reason to come to the store, to touch and feel our products, but also to have an engaging experience with someone who is passionate about the same thing," said Apple Retail's Senior Design Director B.J. Seigel. "For us, it wasn't about coming in and leaving our mark. It was about bringing the history back out and respecting it."
Events D.C., Washington D.C.'s sports and convention authority proposed a 10-year lease, with two five-year extensions in December 2016. Apple will allegedly pay market rent, as well as a sum between $1 million and $2 million to Events D.C. to compensate for any losses related to the Apple shop being in the space, versus the prior use of it.
The space said to be attributed to Apple's lease measures around 63,000 square feet. For the design project it has reportedly tapped frequent collaborator Foster + Partners, aiming to replicate ideas used at other Apple stores in London and San Francisco.
Events D.C. is expected to retain rights to use the space for meetings and events several times a year, and maintain a small office space.
Ahrendts talked about her vision for Apple Retail in an interview at the end of April. Under Ahrendts, Apple has been overhauling the design and operations of its retail chain, with many shops adding trees, wooden shelves, oversized video screens, and new conference rooms, as well as alteration of work roles — which have been controversial.
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25 Comments
Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?