Photo: Apple
Apple on Friday reopened its iconic Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City after a two-year renovation phase that many tech bloggers described as a reinvention.
Better known as "The Cube," the 77,000-square-foot store, which is 21-feet underground, is now nearly twice as large as before and the ceilings have been raised substantially.
The extra space will support nearly 900 employees compared to 300 when the store first opened in 2006. The Genius Bar has also been doubled in size.
In a massive Forum space at one end of the store, Apple will host free, daily "Today at Apple" tutorial sessions. The opposite end features a listening room for customers to experience HomePod. An Apple Watch Studio enables consumers to customize their wearable devices.
The rows of wooden tables throughout the store have likewise been significantly expanded with about a quarter dedicated to free space to support socializing and interaction.
From an aesthetic perspective, the store is significantly brighter. Mirror-glass “sky lenses” along with 62 skylights along the ceiling infuse the space with natural light. Tunable white LEDs automatically move between warm and cooler tones based on the time of day. Another call-out in reviews is the stainless-steel spiral staircase that replaced one made of glass. A shimmering elevator provides a view of the sky above.
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Photo: Apple[/caption]
Like other recent redesigned flagships, the store features greenery on the walls and 28 trees to fit the “community space” vibe. Some elements remained the same, such as the Apple logo and glass cube on the street level and the type of stone Steve Jobs chose for the outside.
The opening coincided with the debut of Apple's newest product offerings, including the iPhone 11 and the latest version of the Apple Watch.
Said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement, "Our customers are at the center of everything we do, and Apple Fifth Avenue is for them, to inspire them, and to provide the very best place to discover our newest products."
The only Apple store with 24/7/365 operator hours, Apple Fifth Avenue reportedly draws more visitors annually than the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building.
Photo: Apple[/caption]
Like other recent redesigned flagships, the store features greenery on the walls and 28 trees to fit the “community space” vibe. Some elements remained the same, such as the Apple logo and glass cube on the street level and the type of stone Steve Jobs chose for the outside.
The opening coincided with the debut of Apple's newest product offerings, including the iPhone 11 and the latest version of the Apple Watch.
Said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement, "Our customers are at the center of everything we do, and Apple Fifth Avenue is for them, to inspire them, and to provide the very best place to discover our newest products."
The only Apple store with 24/7/365 operator hours, Apple Fifth Avenue reportedly draws more visitors annually than the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building.
- Apple Fifth Avenue: The cube is back - Apple
- Apple’s Iconic Fifth Avenue Store Is Back And Bigger Than Ever – The Verge
- Inside Apple's redesigned 'cube' store in New York City – Engadget
- Apple's Iconic 'Cube' Store In New York City Is Back – Tech Times
- Apple Fifth Avenue is finally open again — here's what it's like inside the 'cube'– Yahoo Finance
- Inside the new Apple Fifth Avenue: It's more than just a redesign – Mashable
- Apple opens its redesigned Fifth Avenue store with heavy involvement from Jony Ive – CNN