In spite of the beauty of the building, if it's just an Apple Store, a 3D model of Apple Park and a rooftop where you can't see much anyway, I think visitors are going to be highly disappointed, especially if they've travelled far and expected more or expected to be able to walk around the campus. And it's not like the early days where wearing a hard-to-obtain Apple t-shirt or obtaining another trinket was a matter of pride. Apple is a mass-market company today and as such, it's not perceived the same way it once was. Much ado about nothing IMO. It might be different if they had turned it into a museum about the entire history of Apple (or of the industry), but when asked about such a possibility, Jobs always said he wasn't interested in looking back, only forwards. Or if they had a visitor center that was also an education center to introduce kids to design or programming skills.
There are 498 Apple Stores with 271 in the U.S. What are tourists going to buy in the Apple Park Apple store that they can't get elsewhere, unless the store is going to offer some unique and quality swag?
Oh yeah? The last place that spared no expense wound up with most of the guests eaten or dismembered. But this place probably has all the "I visited the mothership" merchandise now, so there's that.
LOL, no kidding. But, to be fair, that was the article writer, hopefully not something Cook said!
Well, congrats Apple, but I kind of wish you'd have spent some of that money hiring a few more UX designers (as opposed to fashion designers) and put a bit more of it into R&D (not R&B) for some much needed products.... like computers.
It was not yet open to the public, although it sits on a public street and nobody stopped me from taking photos.
No one can stop you from taking any photos when standing on a public street. That's the law. Plenty of places try: I saw the security guard at a building on Fifth Avenue in NYC near the main branch of the NY Public Library try to stop someone from taking photos, but I interceded. Not only did they legally have the right to take those photos, but it was a stupid policy as someone could have taken photos from across the street with a telephoto lens and the security guard wouldn't have even been aware. They can stop you from taking photos if you're standing on their private property. In the U.S., the courts have also ruled that there's also no expectation of privacy in a public place.
In NYC, when I'm shooting, I walk around with a copy of the NYC Police Department's policy on photography, which is basically that it's acceptable in all public places as long as you're not blocking pedestrians or traffic or setting up lights, etc, in which case you need a permit. I do that because a lot of cops don't know the law.
I'm wondering, is that a glass roof covering the second floor...?
It appears the stairwells open out into a glass enclosed room, and the deck itself appears to have glass walls, but the finned roof appears to be an aluminum (?) open air structure for shade.
It was not yet open to the public, although it sits on a public street and nobody stopped me from taking photos. Not sure how long it's been out in the open. Across Pruneridge, one of the last remaining old buildings on Tantau is still surrounded by the tall green metal wall that once ran around the entire site. Apple Park is now exposed on all sides, although there are some smaller fences up (but no more 40' wall!)
Just an FYI, if you’re walking on a public right of way nobody can legally prevent you from taking photos.
Comments
There are 498 Apple Stores with 271 in the U.S. What are tourists going to buy in the Apple Park Apple store that they can't get elsewhere, unless the store is going to offer some unique and quality swag?
Well, congrats Apple, but I kind of wish you'd have spent some of that money hiring a few more UX designers (as opposed to fashion designers) and put a bit more of it into R&D (not R&B) for some much needed products.... like computers.
No one can stop you from taking any photos when standing on a public street. That's the law. Plenty of places try: I saw the security guard at a building on Fifth Avenue in NYC near the main branch of the NY Public Library try to stop someone from taking photos, but I interceded. Not only did they legally have the right to take those photos, but it was a stupid policy as someone could have taken photos from across the street with a telephoto lens and the security guard wouldn't have even been aware. They can stop you from taking photos if you're standing on their private property. In the U.S., the courts have also ruled that there's also no expectation of privacy in a public place.
In NYC, when I'm shooting, I walk around with a copy of the NYC Police Department's policy on photography, which is basically that it's acceptable in all public places as long as you're not blocking pedestrians or traffic or setting up lights, etc, in which case you need a permit. I do that because a lot of cops don't know the law.