Apple has always gone to extreme lengths in designing their stores, but the company’s latest store in West Lake, Hangzhou, is simply on another level. Foster + Partners, the world renowned architecture firm, who is also designing the spaceship-like Apple Campus 2, has released a set of pictures of the store, and it is stunning.
Like most Apple stores, it is predominantly glass, with wooden tables for product demos, but that is where the similarities end. The building features an entirely transparent facade made up of 11 double-glazed panels. Mechanically controlled blinds offer shading when necessary, but can be concealed within the ceiling. The upper floor projects 12 metres from the rear wall, creating a nine-metre-high space intended to evoke “a sense of space and calm”. “This gives the impression of a floating stage in the centre of the space – a new living room for the city,” said the architects. The use of mass dampers – harmonic absorbers that reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibrations – made it possible to make this floor uncommonly thin. It tapers from 1.2 metres to just 10 centimetres.
The illuminated white ceilings are made up of custom-made lighting panels that also dampen sound, while staircases positioned on opposite sides of the store have floating glass treads that are held in place by embedded bolts.
The store is part of an aggressive Asian expansion by Apple. They hope to have 40 stores in the country by the end of 2016. According to Multi Housing News, the Hangzhou store is currently the largest Apple Store in Asia. Apple’s head of retail Angela Ahrendts is also encouraging US employees to relocate to China to work in the company’s stores., especially because of the impending Apple watch launch.
Feast your eyes on the gallery below.
