The long-rumored Apple store at the gateway to the North Michigan Avenue shopping district won't be a 2.0 version of the famous glass cube that forms an iconic entry into the retailer's Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan. It will be more like a high-tech version of Frank Lloyd Wright's quintessentially Midwestern Prairie Style homes, with river views to boot. — The Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune obtained a draft report from Chicago's Department of Planning and Development that details plans for a new Apple store alongside the river and adjacent to the Michigan Avenue bridge. Moving away from the iconic minimalism of its flagship Manhattan store, the Foster + Partners-designed building incorporates Frank Lloyd Wrightian influences, in a nod to its particular regional importance.
Specifically, the 20,000 sq. ft. retail space will stand about 14 ft high – about half the height of the Fifth Avenue store – capped by a large, flat, carbon-fiber-reinforced roof with rounded corners. A significant overhang recalls the horizontal lines of the Prairie school, and is intended to provide relief during the sweltering Mid-Western summers. The walls will still be glazed, in typical Apple fashion, enabling sweeping river views.
Similar to the Manhattan Apple store, the most-visible architectural element is in fact an entry pavilion leading down to a subterranean – or, technically, river-level – retail space below. A broad and expansive flight of stairs will replace the existing, curving stairways and provide access to the riverfront.
The centrally-located site is currently occupied by a plaza known as Pioneer Court and owned by the Zeller Realty Group, which already has a deal with Apple. For the past 12 years, Apple's Chicago flagship has been a four-story building located at 679 N. Michigan. The move closer to the river is intended to draw more visitors and drive higher sales.
Construction is slated to begin next year.
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