When the iconic Apple glass cube on Fifth Avenue was shroud in barriers in preparation for renovation in June, the future of the flagship Apple store was unclear. It was only revealed that Apple would be removing the glass cube and working on drainage, pavers, and bollards on the plaza, but just what changes were to be made to the cube itself remained elusive.
Apple has now revealed that the glass panels as we have known them will be replaced with larger panels to create a seamless appearance. A sign now states, “We’re simplifying the Fifth Avenue cube. By using larger, seamless pieces of glass, we’re using just 15 panes instead of 90.” There will be three panels per side of the cube, running the full length. During the day the store is faintly recognizable as a glass encasing for an underground world; at night the store glows from the inside out. With this new structural detailing, the building will likely appear even more subtle during the day and more brilliant at night.
This original design is an innovation by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and structural engineers Eckersley O’Callahan. The glass cube and subterranean glass staircase were trademarked in 2010, associating the vision of the architecture with Apple’s own innovations.
We recently reported that according to documents released by the city of Cupertino, Foster + Partners will be the architects of the new Apple Campus in Cupertino, California. Steve Jobs shared the following, “We’ve used our experience making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use.”
