Apple is well known for making bold design decisions, including when it comes to their buildings. However, the design of Apple’s new Chicago store is perhaps their boldest yet, with a roof that appears to resemble a giant MacBook Pro. Whether or not that’s an intentional decision on Apple’s part, remains to be seen.
According to the Verge , construction is nearing completion on Apple’s new store in Chicago. Designed by London-based Foster+Partners, the store will relocate Apple’s original Chicago flagship, and at 20,000-square-foot in size will have all-glass walls and a thin, carbon fiber roof, that is starting to look an awful lot like Apple’s signature laptop, the MacBook.
Whilst it wasn’t in the building’s original plans, on Thursday afternoon, a shiny white Apple logo appeared on the surface of the building, making it look like the aforementioned MacBook. The logo remained on top of the building for less than an hour, before construction crews rolled it up and put it away. It’s unclear whether or not Apple is currently just floating the idea of having a giant logo on top of their Chicago store, but if it becomes a permanent fixture, similarities between the roof and a MacBook are undeniably going to be pointed out.
Chicago’s new Apple Store looks like a giant laptop https://t.co/bF5nI9B7yU pic.twitter.com/vrfnJV7mjv
— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) June 22, 2017
According to Mashable , when finished, the new Chicago store will reportedly resemble the new San Francisco store, which was completed last year. The store introduced an outdoor plaza and a video wall with gathering space called “The Forum” – both features that Apple appears to be rolling out to its stores across the United States and internationally.
The aforementioned firm currently responsible for designing the new Chicago store, Foster+Partners, have previously designed two other Apple stores, including one in Hangzhou, China, and more recently, the new Singapore Apple store, which closely resembles the aforementioned San Francisco flagship store, which appears to suggest a new design direction for Apple’s retail spaces.
https://www.facebook.com/fosterpartners/posts/1521791274531656:0
Apple’s stores have in the past been designed by its chief design officer, Jony Ive. However, as the company continues to expand its retail presence across the globe, firms like Foster+Partners are taking over a good deal of the legwork in designing new stores. That being said, Ive still contributes to the overall design of stores, including the Chicago store, which is expected to open this year.
[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
