Apple releases photos of first retail outlet in Austria ahead of Feb. 24 opening

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in General Discussion
In preparation for the opening of its first Apple store in Austria on Saturday, Feb. 24, Apple has released new photographs of both the outside and the inside of its latest retail location, showing customers in Vienna what to expect when they visit the new outlet.




Located at Kaerntner Strasse, a famous pedestrian shopping street between St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Vienna State Opera, the store will open for business at 9:30am local time this Saturday. The new images from Apple show the storefront clear of the custom banners covering the windows while the outlet was still being fitted, giving a clear view inside for passers by.

As seen earlier this month, one side of the walkway surrounding the store continues to have a row of trees and benches, which are intended to encourage passers-by to stop and rest. The large windows let light in to the two-level store, with the window openings said by Apple to "seamlessly connect it to the public gathering space outside."

Apple also designed the store "with the original heritage building in mind," including reinstating exposed columns that appear between each window pane.




The storefront was previously the home of an Esprit clothing outlet, but it is believed the firm moved out due to the rising cost of real estate in a high-traffic shopping district. Apple's store design is a considerable departure from that of the previous occupant, which took up three floors and densely populated the shop floors with products to sell, in contrast to Apple's more minimal style.

Inside the Apple store are the signature large tables used to showcase iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and other products, as well as sections to the sides used for accessories and items from third-party vendors. At one end is a large video wall, located in a space meant for free Today at Apple sessions and other events.

Approximately 150 employees will work at the store, providing assistance to customers as well as leading visitors through a variety of programs, including educational Kids Hour sessions on Saturdays, and hands-on training for app developers and entrepreneurs in the Boardroom. Apple claims the staff can collectively speak 44 different languages, allowing them to serve the vast majority of international customers at the store.

The opening of the first Apple retail outlet in Austria follows a similar launch in South Korea. The country's first Apple store opened in Garosugil in Seoul on January 26, with head of retail Angela Ahrendts on hand to oversee proceedings.


Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,915member
    Gosh these new(er) retail stores look so nice. Very upper scale. Very nicely done!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 11
    Classy, understated. Well done.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 11
    I liked the graphics they used to cover the windows while it was under construction...



    edited February 2018
  • Reply 4 of 11
    Is it just me, or are interiors beginning to have a little TOO much matchy-matchy sameness? I love the way they respect the integrity of exterior architecture, and wish that even on new construction that the interiors could have notes that acknowledge a sense of place. Even Trader Joe’s does this. They make it YOUR neighborhood’s store, not just another corporate rubber stamp. 

    Also, I miss the old screen that showed your place in the virtual queue. Now, you are just told to wait with no feedback as to how long your wait might be. Frustrating. 
  • Reply 5 of 11
    LatkoLatko Posts: 398member
    This is the seamless integration of pastel colors in the twilight scene of the mellow-yellow colored nightfalls - in a mixture of local conditions and architectural specifics that could only have been overseen and matched by Angela (and her team) as designed by Joni (and his team). Expectedly, the risk of snowfall from the roof has been minimized by implementing the latest version of the rooftop heating software, connected via HomeKit to ensure seamless compatibility of its vital functions with the latest iOS version.
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 6 of 11
    Is it just me, or are interiors beginning to have a little TOO much matchy-matchy sameness? I love the way they respect the integrity of exterior architecture, and wish that even on new construction that the interiors could have notes that acknowledge a sense of place. Even Trader Joe’s does this. They make it YOUR neighborhood’s store, not just another corporate rubber stamp. 

    Also, I miss the old screen that showed your place in the virtual queue. Now, you are just told to wait with no feedback as to how long your wait might be. Frustrating. 
    It's just you.

    Apple's design strategies are obviously working, as evidenced by their ever-rising statistics (e.g. new store openings).

    Leave well enough alone.
    wlympacificfilm
  • Reply 7 of 11
    So there is this invasive ad from Jet Blue that pops up every time I click on an article. It seem to be a glitch, that doens't go away even after restarting Chrome. But if you guys are gonna start showing invasive pop up ads I'm definitely gonna stop visiting Ai and go to other sites to get my news. I've been a reader for the last 5 years... 
  • Reply 8 of 11
    adm1 said:
    I liked the graphics they used to cover the windows while it was under construction...




    It is cool that they used more modern iconography in patterns to make it feel like the black and white patterns on the early Mac Paint palette. Thanks for posting this external shot. I noticed it on the Apple logo in the store, but nice to see the larger use. 
    pacificfilmwelshdogwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 9 of 11
    adm1 said:
    I liked the graphics they used to cover the windows while it was under construction...




    It is cool that they used more modern iconography in patterns to make it feel like the black and white patterns on the early Mac Paint palette. Thanks for posting this external shot. I noticed it on the Apple logo in the store, but nice to see the larger use. 
    These graphic designs made me think of the Wiener Werkstäte studio graphics, established in Vienna in 1903, which has a store down the street. There’s a A-1 shop not far, which was helpful but Vienna needs a Genius Bar, and private repairs can get very expensive. 
    As for the “matchy-matchy ” complaint above,  A. already spends a ton on maintaining, often restoring, the original feel of historical sites, as they did to some extent here. I’m not convinced even Öesterreicheren care about seeing info from the Roman Age when visiting the store, but locals please correct me if I’m wrong. 
  • Reply 10 of 11
    I think that Apple has done a very good job of continual enhancement of their store designs.  They work well with surroundings in standalone stores on exterior designs, and they don't do[ it on the cheap.  Interiors are also intelligently designed.  Spaced to handle heavy crowds and also to blend with previous stores.  That benefit is people going into a store in a different city will be comfortable (feel right at home) in the new store.  That is a benefit from someone who knows what they need and can head right to it.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    Kaerntner Strasse is a great location for an Apple Store! The exterior looks great and the current interior design components work together nicely and look good everywhere. I look forward to dropping in during my next trip.
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