Apple reveals plans for future Washington D.C. Carnegie Library store

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

SpamSandwich 32917 comments · 19 Years

About 7 years ago

Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?

tallest skil 43086 comments · 14 Years

SpamSandwich said:

Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?

Well, the mayor may be totally corrupt, but I hardly think he’s personally responsible for the majority of crimes… ;)

tallest skil said:

SpamSandwich said:

Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?

Well, the mayor may be totally corrupt, but I hardly think he’s personally responsible for the majority of crimes… ;)

LOL!

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

SpamSandwich said:

Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?

Um... certainly not relative to the past, if you believe in things such as data or facts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Washington,_D.C.

williamh 1045 comments · 13 Years

tallest skil said:

SpamSandwich said:

Isn't much of Washington, DC a crime-ridden dump thanks to their mayor?

Well, the mayor may be totally corrupt, but I hardly think he’s personally responsible for the majority of crimes… ;)

When we discuss crime in DC, I assume we're excluding Congress. DC was a crime-ridden dump thanks in part to a mayor a few mayors ago. Some parts of the city are still better to avoid, much of it is quite nice. BTW, the current mayor is not a he and hasn't really been in office long office to be blamed for anything.

The area where this Apple Store will be located is in a pretty good part of town, just north of Chinatown and across the street from the convention center. The location isn't great for casual foot traffic (other than convention visitors) but it's not far from a couple of subway stations and only a block or so out of the way. Chinatown has a lot of restaurants (mostly not Chinese) and a sports arena. There are also a few museums in the area. This Apple Store will also be the only one that's in downtown proper, with the current nearest stores being in Georgetown and across the river in Virginia. For those of you not familiar with DC geography, Georgetown is quite affluent and also inconvenient. The subway doesn't go there and with traffic it could take a little while to drive there despite the fact it's only a couple miles from the center. If I am downtown and need an Apple Store, I would go to the one at Pentagon City in Virginia.