A lot of opinions being thrown around over nothing more than a rendering (a pretty noisy/ugly one too I might add - seems rather unimaginative considering Apple's other architectural pursuits.)
The community misdirecting their anger to Apple, when they should focus on why their government is offering the space to a corporate to begin with, and that they're also willing to demolish a building to get it there. At the same time I can see why they dodged public consultation - it destroys vision and produces mediocre spaces.
Finally, it's an opportunity for political football; whereby opposition will always spin an anti-everything sentiment, public spaces are inevitable, low hanging fruit.
As for Fed Square - it's overrated. An insecure manifestation of me-too aesthetics appropriated from European cities, all while sidelining its own heritage.
"An insecure manifestation of me-too aesthetics appropriated from European cities, all while sidelining its own heritage." Brilliant! You have a second career in architectural commentary ahead of you. (PS I totally agree.)
I work around 500 meters away from the site, and was actually there today.
Honestly, some protection from the summer sun might be helpful, but the design is completely out of touch with the area. Granted, even when Federation Square was built, it was an odd architecture. This however doesn’t event suit that. I’m not sure what Angela Ahrendts was smoking when she said it was in keeping with the area...
To be honest, an Apple Store in the city centre is long overdue. But the public sentiment is very strong against this. This is a civic space and Apple is seen by the majority here as the antithesis of that. I can’t see a Union Square “Town Centre” store working here. There are plenty of better places for this store. Burke Street comes to mind...
This isn’t to say that I dislike the idea of an Apple Store. Would help me out a lot. But this placement and design is a bad decision by a company that doesn’t understand the culture here and that this is really a slap in the face to Victorians.
So the store design in itself isn’t the problem. The problem is that Apple is building a store at all.
It certainly isn’t my favourite Apple store design, but where you think protection from the sun might be “helpful”, I think it should be a major design concern.
There are 2 issues at play here. 1. It’s a completely inappropriate place to put a retail store. I’d compare it to Apple setting up a megastore in the centre of Central Park, New York. It’s a public setting Apple is appropriating for their corporate use. 2. If you have to put it there, at least make it fit in, which it doesn’t.
I’m sure they can find ways to deal with the heat that doesn’t look like an inverted Pizza Hut... like everyone else in Australia seems more than capabale or doing...
Heat, obviously, isn’t the problem; it’s the sunlight, hence the shading. Heat they can fix with air conditioning.
Thinking about it though, and if they can stand to lose the balcony, they might look at something similar to the Dubai store.
Secondly, they’re not “appropriating the space for corporate use”. They’re building a shop, not a regional corporate HQ. That’s a bit like saying our local Tesco has appropriated the car park opposite the petrol station for “corporate use”. The phrase makes for good outrage, but it’s not really accurate.
Now, how did they convince the local council to use the civic space to build a store? That’s the clever part. It won’t be called the Apple Store; it’ll be called Apple Federation Square, and will offer free training courses in music and video technology, programming workshops, photo walks of the local area, performances by local musicians and software education for non-tecchy business folk. And if you happen to buy some Apple -branded trinkets while you’re there…
Angela Ahrendts is one smart cookie. She knows that stores have to offer something above and beyond just the ability to try and buy stuff. Since this is probably seen as an educational venue/meeting place, as well as a store, this is probably why your local government thought it might be a good idea.
Right, time to get to work. Just heading down to the kitchen which I’ve temporarily appropriated for corporate use.
"Council members unanimously backed Greens party councilor Rohan Leppert
in a motion to lobby the government for a redesign that would include
public input."
I shudder to think what kind of design would emerge after "public input".
Large area for a Baaabie? Remove the massive screen from the wall and use the space for a gigantic beer fridge? Apple-branded corked hats? Homepods that cranks up the volume if someone talks about the plight of the indigenous population?
Comments
Heat, obviously, isn’t the problem; it’s the sunlight, hence the shading. Heat they can fix with air conditioning.
Thinking about it though, and if they can stand to lose the balcony, they might look at something similar to the Dubai store.
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/05/02/apple-dubai-mall-foster-partners-architecture-carbon-fibre-shop-united-arab-emirates/
Secondly, they’re not “appropriating the space for corporate use”. They’re building a shop, not a regional corporate HQ. That’s a bit like saying our local Tesco has appropriated the car park opposite the petrol station for “corporate use”. The phrase makes for good outrage, but it’s not really accurate.
Now, how did they convince the local council to use the civic space to build a store? That’s the clever part. It won’t be called the Apple Store; it’ll be called Apple Federation Square, and will offer free training courses in music and video technology, programming workshops, photo walks of the local area, performances by local musicians and software education for non-tecchy business folk. And if you happen to buy some Apple -branded trinkets while you’re there…
Angela Ahrendts is one smart cookie. She knows that stores have to offer something above and beyond just the ability to try and buy stuff. Since this is probably seen as an educational venue/meeting place, as well as a store, this is probably why your local government thought it might be a good idea.
Right, time to get to work. Just heading down to the kitchen which I’ve temporarily appropriated for corporate use.
Remove the massive screen from the wall and use the space for a gigantic beer fridge?
Apple-branded corked hats?
Homepods that cranks up the volume if someone talks about the plight of the indigenous population?
KIDDING!
Small barbecue area should be enough…