Apple finalizing deal for $50M AU store in central Melbourne - report

AppleInsider

Apple is nearing a deal to build a major A$50 million store in the Australian city of Melbourne, a report said on Tuesday.

Apple has been in "lengthy and secretive" negotiations with the management of Federation Square about acquiring and demolishing the Yarra building there, The Age said on Tuesday, citing industry sources. The replacement will allegedly be a standalone, see-through glass building.

The company faces some obstacles, including the fact that the Yarra building is home to the Koorie Heritage Trust, which still has four out of five years left on its lease. On the bottom floor is an Italian restaurant, Il Pom, which is currently enjoying good traffic.

The Square's buildings also share unusual postmodern designs, which while controversial when they were unveiled might create some resistance to replacing them with a building following Apple's usual design templates.

Federation Square is a popular and profitable government-owned space, simply leased to various businesses and organizations, like public broadcaster SBS. Events are often held there, or broadcast for viewing on a large installed screen -- sometimes by thousands of people.

Apple has reportedly been searching for a central Melbourne location for a decade. The company already has three shops in the Melbourne area, but none near downtown.

cali

 I was going to say "this is the first ugly Apple Store ". Then I read Apple wants to tear that thing down. 

Rayz2016

Jesus Christ, what is that? Is it finished?

robin huber

Just had the strangest thought, that maybe Apple is building too much shelf space but not enough products to put on them. Phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, watch. Plus a few accessories. Reminds me a bit of the "superstore" locations that a number of U.S. grocers built a few years ago (Von's Pavilions for example). When you walked down the aisles you realized that there weren't more products as much as more product. Instead of one foot of shelf space for each SKU, there was now three. Not saying that Apple should be the new Samsung with one of everything, but a little more diversification might not be a bad thing. At the very least, how about a company store section like at 1 Infinite Loop where fans can buy t-shirts, mugs, and other Apple logo stuff. Other design focused companies do this—like Porsche. 

robin huber

Rayz2016 said:

Jesus Christ, what is that? Is it finished?

This is what happens when you try to be Frank Gehry but you're not. 

applesauce007

OMG!  These are some fugly structures making up a very fugly plaza.

Check out Apple Maps flyover for Federation Square Melbourne.  What monstrosities...

fotoformat

cali said:

 I was going to say "this is the first ugly Apple Store ". Then I read Apple wants to tear that thing down. 

Yup... looks like a Buckminster Fuller 'dome' after a storm!

wookie01

I live in Melbourne and yes the buildings in Fed square are ugly but they are "of a piece" there is no way that they would be replacing just one part of it.  I'd love Apple to have a store in Fed square but anywhere in the CBD would be fine. The old GPO was redeveloped a few years ago and I had my hopes up but no. One day they'll get there. 

sennen

As wookie above says, all these buildings whilst are indeed 'of a piece' and part of the great success of Federation Square as a public space is the design of the buildings, the spaces they create within and between them and the way the buildings frame the city behind it. The stage and screen on the side of the building that would be demolished in this proposal are used regularly for public events and performances and have become part of public life here.

I can't see this going through in the form as stated in the article, Fed Square as a project was too contentious and too expensive to just tear down one whole part of it. As much of a user/fan of Apple products as I am, I'd rather not destroy part of a public space that many people use and enjoy on a daily basis. Though I daresay the site would like a high-profile and secure tenant to help cover operational costs. If Apple were to want to modify the existing structure - say with part of an Apple glass cube bursting out one side of it, for example - then I could find that acceptable.

inteliboy

Tearing down part of Fed Square to prop up an Apple store is unbelievably obnoxious - and honestly, will only cement people's worsening opinion of Apple. Especially in an easy going tall-poppy-syndrome city like Melbourne.