Apple's canceled Federation Square store lives on in Apple Vision Pro

AppleInsider

One of Apple's most controversial stores never opened, but a virtual tour that can be viewed on Apple Vision Pro brings the dream back to life.

Apple's Federation Square building render. Credit: Filip Chudzinski

Apple's plan to build a flagship store in Melbourne's Federation Square sparked immediate backlash -- and was ultimately canceled. Now, a virtual recreation offers a glimpse of what could have been.

In 2017, Apple announced its intention to open a global flagship in the heart of Melbourne, marking its first in the Southern Hemisphere. Designed in partnership with Foster + Partners, the multilevel glass pavilion would have anchored the southeast corner of Federation Square.

The design followed Apple's recent shift toward flagship stores that serve as community hubs rather than just shopping destinations. The proposed building included open gathering spaces, panoramic views of the Yarra River, and facilities for Today at Apple sessions.

Backlash in Melbourne

But the project quickly met resistance from heritage groups, architects, and local residents. Critics objected to replacing the existing Yarra Building with a private commercial structure, arguing that it would compromise the civic and cultural nature of the square.

Even after Apple revised the plans in 2018 to better match the surrounding architecture, the response didn't soften.

In April 2019, the Victorian government scrapped the proposal. Heritage Victoria denied the necessary permits, calling the project "an unacceptable and irreversible detriment" to the square's significance.

A view of the store. Image credit: Filip Chudzinski

Apple moved on, opening other stores around Australia. But none sought to anchor a site as symbolically important as Federation Square, Melbourne's civic heart and home to cultural institutions like ACMI and the National Gallery of Victoria's Ian Potter Centre.

A glimpse into the store that never was

Now, the project has been virtually resurrected by designer Filip Chudzinski. Hosted at Storeteller.de, his 3D walkthrough reconstructs Apple's second proposal based on architectural plans and promotional artwork. Apple Vision Pro users can view the renderings in 3D.

The site offers an immersive look at the store's imagined layout, along with wallpapers and renderings that capture the scale and detail of the design.

Apple worked to blend the design with its surroundings. Image credit: Filip Chudzinski

The architecture echoes Apple's other landmark stores, including Michigan Avenue in Chicago and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Light-filled interiors, tree-lined seating, and an open pavilion format reflect the company's modern retail philosophy developed with Foster + Partners.

Created independently and unaffiliated with Apple, the virtual tribute serves both as an archival visualization and as a "what if" scenario for one of Apple's most ambitious unbuilt projects.

To explore the full experience, visit the Apple Federation Square VR tribute. Filip Chudzinski also includes device wallpapers of the store.



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s.metcalf

For those wondering, it was disallowed not so much because of Apple’s architectural proposal, but commercialisation of a dominantly public-use space that includes galleries and the like (arguably these are commercial too but far less overtly so).  Federation Square is also a popular viewing area for sporting (they have a large screen) and other events of cultural significance (I’ve been to a spiegeltent there) and I’m not sure this proposal would allow it to be used in these ways.  It would instead become dominated by the giant shop of a large multinational corporation.  It’s just not the right place for an Apple flagship in Melbourne.

They could’ve taken the GPO building when that was available, but I’m guessing it didn’t have enough back-area space 

s.metcalf

…or access for large trucks.