Apple unveiling redesigned Fifth Ave glass cube on Friday
Apple will temporarily close its flagship Fifth Ave retail store in New York on Thursday evening in preparation for the unveiling of the newly redesigned glass cube on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.
The Mac maker posted a note on its retail website (via MacRumors) notifying customers of the scheduling change. Normally, the store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Apple began the $6.7 million project in June and will meet the "early November" completion estimate that it submitted in permits to the city. The project's purpose was to simplify the cube, reducing the number of glass panes from 90 to 15.
In September, the company began slowly removing the temporary structure surrounding the cube. Workers began taking off the white covering along the bottom section of the cube on Thursday in preparation for the unveiling.
The store opened in May 2006 and has since become a popular destination for tourists.
Workers preparing 5th Ave cube for Friday launch. Credit: Derek Gordon.
Left, the old Fifth Ave glass cube. Right, Apple's rendering of the new cube.
In the wake of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, mourners flocked to the cube to pay their respects, leaving apples, flowers and hand-written notes. The iconic structure has become closely associated with Jobs, as he played a part in designing it and even paid for it with his own money.
After a meteoric rise over the past ten years, Apple's retail initiative is in a period of transition. Ron Johnson, who had headed the company's retail unit since 2000, left Apple this week to become the new chief executive at J.C. Penney. The Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker has yet to announce his replacement.
As of the September quarter, Apple had a total of 357 retail stores around the world. The company plans to open 40 stores next quarter, with most of them located outside the U.S.
The Mac maker posted a note on its retail website (via MacRumors) notifying customers of the scheduling change. Normally, the store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Apple began the $6.7 million project in June and will meet the "early November" completion estimate that it submitted in permits to the city. The project's purpose was to simplify the cube, reducing the number of glass panes from 90 to 15.
In September, the company began slowly removing the temporary structure surrounding the cube. Workers began taking off the white covering along the bottom section of the cube on Thursday in preparation for the unveiling.
The store opened in May 2006 and has since become a popular destination for tourists.
Workers preparing 5th Ave cube for Friday launch. Credit: Derek Gordon.
Left, the old Fifth Ave glass cube. Right, Apple's rendering of the new cube.
In the wake of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, mourners flocked to the cube to pay their respects, leaving apples, flowers and hand-written notes. The iconic structure has become closely associated with Jobs, as he played a part in designing it and even paid for it with his own money.
After a meteoric rise over the past ten years, Apple's retail initiative is in a period of transition. Ron Johnson, who had headed the company's retail unit since 2000, left Apple this week to become the new chief executive at J.C. Penney. The Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker has yet to announce his replacement.
As of the September quarter, Apple had a total of 357 retail stores around the world. The company plans to open 40 stores next quarter, with most of them located outside the U.S.
Comments
Did I read somewhere that Jobs personally paid for the re-do of the cube?
I thought he paid for the original glass cube.
Did I read somewhere that Jobs personally paid for the re-do of the cube?
But why? How would that happen? I mean, it's peanuts in the scheme of things. The idea that he did pay for it himself would suggest that someone with more clout said no to either the original cube or the re-design. I'm not saying not, but it just looks so much like a tall tale.
No matter, I look forward to seeing it.
On a side note, did anybody catch the PBS doco last night? Not so great in my opinion. The hitherto unseen interview which lasted all of 15 seconds did not reveal anything that we had not heard. A worthwhile watch, but by no means a class act.
But why? How would that happen? I mean, it's peanuts in the scheme of things. The idea that he did pay for it himself would suggest that someone with more clout said no to either the original cube or the re-design. I'm not saying not, but it just looks so much like a tall tale.
No matter, I look forward to seeing it.
On a side note, did anybody catch the PBS doco last night? Not so great in my opinion. The hitherto unseen interview which lasted all of 15 seconds did not reveal anything that we had not heard. A worthwhile watch, but by no means a class act.
Spot on pax, I watched it today on my ipad2 (PBS app). Having read the book the special seemed superficial at best. Although, it was rather interesting seeing his neighborhood where he took his walks!
You are audibly panting over the renovation of a store. Sure, it's a cool store, and that's fine, but - one more time - it's a store. It's not a theater, it's not a museum, and it's not the the new children's oncology center. That it's become a tourist destination is hardly remarkable ? we live in a culture where The Mall of America is a tourist destination (where, by the way, one can buy exactly the same Apple products for sale on 5th Avenue, though admittedly surrounded by shoppers who weigh twice as much).
Stop salivating over opportunities to shop. It's disgusting.
Welcome to America, where stores are "unveiled" with a reverence once reserved for bridges, cathedrals, and other achievements that represented a sense of purpose beyond "live, buy, die."
You are audibly panting over the renovation of a store. Sure, it's a cool store, and that's fine, but - one more time - it's a store. It's not a theater, it's not a museum, and it's not the the new children's oncology center. That it's become a tourist destination is hardly remarkable ? we live in a culture where The Mall of America is a tourist destination (where, by the way, one can buy exactly the same Apple products for sale on 5th Avenue, though admittedly surrounded by shoppers who weigh twice as much).
Stop salivating over opportunities to shop. It's disgusting.
Honestly I believe that this whole 5th avenue store look was a big deal to Steve. I really think so. He was a billionaire. I think that he knew that he could afford it and it became his pet project. I was happy with it before. But hey what do I know. I'm not a billionaire.
Welcome to America, where stores are "unveiled" with a reverence once reserved for bridges, cathedrals, and other achievements that represented a sense of purpose beyond "live, buy, die."
You are audibly panting over the renovation of a store. Sure, it's a cool store, and that's fine, but - one more time - it's a store. It's not a theater, it's not a museum, and it's not the the new children's oncology center. That it's become a tourist destination is hardly remarkable ? we live in a culture where The Mall of America is a tourist destination (where, by the way, one can buy exactly the same Apple products for sale on 5th Avenue, though admittedly surrounded by shoppers who weigh twice as much).
Stop salivating over opportunities to shop. It's disgusting.
So let me get this straight, you're all for other engineering feats but if it's a retail store doing it then it shouldn't matter? Are there other structures using such large panes of glass that I'm not aware of?
Welcome to America, where stores are "unveiled" with a reverence once reserved for bridges, cathedrals, and other achievements that represented a sense of purpose beyond "live, buy, die."
You are audibly panting over the renovation of a store. Sure, it's a cool store, and that's fine, but - one more time - it's a store. It's not a theater, it's not a museum, and it's not the the new children's oncology center. That it's become a tourist destination is hardly remarkable ? we live in a culture where The Mall of America is a tourist destination (where, by the way, one can buy exactly the same Apple products for sale on 5th Avenue, though admittedly surrounded by shoppers who weigh twice as much).
Stop salivating over opportunities to shop. It's disgusting.
It's still a beautiful building and a feat of engineering - it's purpose is fairly immaterial... Nobody was talking about the Store aspect, just the look of an iconic building. The Empire State was a private enterprise designed to make money. Yes?
The Empire State [building?] was a private enterprise designed to make money. Yes?
precisely! and every other landmark real estate is owned by someone who makes money by charging rent. boycott it all!
precisely! and every other landmark real estate is owned by someone who makes money by charging rent. boycott it all!
Yeah, I'm not even going to look at buildings anymore, unless someone can prove they were built for entirely altruistic purposes...
Welcome to America, where stores are "unveiled" with a reverence once reserved for bridges, cathedrals, and other achievements that represented a sense of purpose beyond "live, buy, die."
You are audibly panting over the renovation of a store. Sure, it's a cool store, and that's fine, but - one more time - it's a store. It's not a theater, it's not a museum, and it's not the the new children's oncology center. That it's become a tourist destination is hardly remarkable ? we live in a culture where The Mall of America is a tourist destination (where, by the way, one can buy exactly the same Apple products for sale on 5th Avenue, though admittedly surrounded by shoppers who weigh twice as much).
Stop salivating over opportunities to shop. It's disgusting.
It's a gigantic glass cube. You don't see them very often. That's what gives it novelty - like a work of art. If there were no store beneath it would still be interesting and quite a feat of engineering in terms of producing such quality glass and situating the pieces precisely.
There's a giant glass pyramid by the Louvre in Paris. There's a store in the Louvre. ;-)