Apple unveils redesigned, simpler Fifth Ave glass cube
Apple on Friday took the wraps off of its flagship store on New York City's Fifth Avenue, revealing its new glass cube entrance that sports a simpler look with fewer panes.
Construction workers spent the last few months completely replacing the 32-foot glass cube, which previously used 90 panes of glass. The new design features 15 larger, seamless panes.
A giant temporary structure was placed over the site in July to conceal the work being done on the cube. A sign that work was at an end came on Thursday, when the company temporarily closed the site ahead of a grand reopening scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Eastern.
The total project cost Apple an estimated $6.7 million, and the store remained open its usual 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even as work was under way. Customers were forced to make their way through a makeshift lighted entrance for the last few months to access the underground store.
Workers began removing some of the support structures surrounding the construction in late September. Work was completed in time for Apple to stay on schedule and meet its originally planned November completion date.
Apple's new Fifth Avenue glass cube. Photos via MacRumors.
The original cube, said to have been personally designed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is one of the most photographed landmarks in New York City. The former Apple CEO even paid for the project himself, and is the owner of the structure.
The all-glass design has even inspired other projects from Apple, including its megastore in Shanghai that opened last summer. Like the Fifth Avenue store, its entrance is a staircase enclosed in glass, though the one in China is a cylinder.
Construction workers spent the last few months completely replacing the 32-foot glass cube, which previously used 90 panes of glass. The new design features 15 larger, seamless panes.
A giant temporary structure was placed over the site in July to conceal the work being done on the cube. A sign that work was at an end came on Thursday, when the company temporarily closed the site ahead of a grand reopening scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Eastern.
The total project cost Apple an estimated $6.7 million, and the store remained open its usual 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even as work was under way. Customers were forced to make their way through a makeshift lighted entrance for the last few months to access the underground store.
Workers began removing some of the support structures surrounding the construction in late September. Work was completed in time for Apple to stay on schedule and meet its originally planned November completion date.
Apple's new Fifth Avenue glass cube. Photos via MacRumors.
The original cube, said to have been personally designed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is one of the most photographed landmarks in New York City. The former Apple CEO even paid for the project himself, and is the owner of the structure.
The all-glass design has even inspired other projects from Apple, including its megastore in Shanghai that opened last summer. Like the Fifth Avenue store, its entrance is a staircase enclosed in glass, though the one in China is a cylinder.
Comments
"By using larger, seamless pieces of glass, we're using just 15 panes instead of 90."
Looks like there are still seams visible.
Because I question the idea that SJ paid for the original from his own pocket I naturally followed the link which supposedly leads to the page that first reported this. There is no mention of SJ having paid personally, so I still question it.
From: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...lass_cube.html
Looks like there are still seams visible.
And the little lights aren't twinkling.
Some people are screwed in the head.
Speaking of Jobs owning the cube, any word on the Jobs estate?
From: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...lass_cube.html
Looks like there are still seams visible.
The panes are seamless. Which simply means they are not framed or connected to each other. It wouldn't be possible to make the edges invisible because of light refraction.
Like I said, I would pay to replace it...but sure would be fun to bust it down like a sandcastle.
- homer simpson as mr. burns' assistant.
But, on first sight, I think Ron Johnson may have had a point, when he said of the original construct: "The proportions we have today work magically with the colonnade of the GM Building".
I did immediately notice the lack of interplay in those lines now missing.
Of course its a matter of personal preference, but the new look is SO clean...its almost as if 'there is no there, there'.
I know that was the point, just not sure its a good one...
Very impressive. Once they get it down to just the five panes their work will be done. Presumably things are different in the US, but if someone erected such a structure in the UK the 'health and safety' fascists would be down in an instant demanding it be covered in stickers with the legend: "Warning! Glass!"
I found an islamic group online once who were saying this design was insult to mecca! And calling for steve jobs to be killed!
Some people are screwed in the head.
Better to not to give them any more publicity IMHO.
Plus the Apple Logo is still backwards when you look from the other side, they should have spent more time trying to fix that.
The Shanghai cylinder looks downright BAD compared to the cube now.
So, it loses the symmetry of using square panes of glass to make the cube but still has seams? Doesn't seem so great to me
Plus the Apple Logo is still backwards when you look from the other side, they should have spent more time trying to fix that.
It was never stated that it would be seamless, just fewer panes of glass used making for fewer seams. To be seamless the structure would have to be one contiguous piece of glass.