Photos show seamless glass cuboid to cap new Turkish Apple Store

Posted:
in General Discussion edited April 2014
Less than a week before a scheduled grand opening, construction workers at Apple's first retail outlet in Turkey took the wraps off a large all-glass structure that will serve as a huge skylight for the underground store.

Zorlu
Turkish Apple Store in Zorlu Center. | Source: orbaygumus via Instagram


As seen in the picture above, taken by Instagram user orbaygumus (via ifoAppleStore), the large cuboid structure is reminiscent of glass installations at flagship Apple Stores in New York and Shanghai.

Unlike the others, however, the Turkish store will be one of the first to use gigantic panes of glass in what looks to be a seamless construction. The structure's almost transparent facade reflects off the still water and polished black stone walls of a surrounding shallow pond, while light is allowed to pass through into the store below. The only thing missing is a large Apple logo.

Pictures of the Zorlu construction site showed up last week, but the five-sided glass installation was hidden by protective boarding.

Apple is planning to implement curved monolithic glass elements at its upcoming Campus 2 headquarters and the company's relocated San Francisco flagship store design calls for massive two-story sliding glass doors. However, the Turkey Apple Store, at least for now, appears to use the largest glass components yet seen in an Apple build.

Apple's latest store is set to open this weekend in Istanbul's Zorlu Center, a centrally-located multi-use space featuring a high-end shopping mall, performing arts center, hotel, office space and residential areas. According to reports in December, the outlet covers 21,500-square-feet of space, including the showroom floor, special event areas and dual Genius Bars.

Zorlu will be the company's first physical retail presence in Turkey and comes five months after the Online Apple Store went live in the country last October.

During a trip to Turkey in February, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed plans for the Zorlu outlet in a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah G?l that covered research and development operations and a proposed education technology initiative. At the time, Cook called the store "unique" and said it would feature a design concept seen nowhere else in the world.

The Zorlu Center Apple Store is slated to open its doors on Saturday, Apr. 5, at 10 a.m. local time.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    No snowblowers there I presume?

    Hope to see them opening a store in the [URL=http://www.kanyon.com.tr/#!/anasayfa]Kanyon mall[/URL] next time. Apple can then stay in line with anything curved and rounded corners.

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/41168/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
  • Reply 2 of 28
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    That us an incredible glass structure. Just amazing what they are doing with glass.
  • Reply 3 of 28
    marvfoxmarvfox Posts: 2,275member

    Really amazing architecture to look at.

  • Reply 4 of 28
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Mall stores always seemed so drab until Apple came along.
  • Reply 5 of 28
    Anyone knows if they have a Dubai store and if it will be as loud and crazy as the its skyline?
  • Reply 6 of 28
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Anyone knows if they have a Dubai store and if it will be as loud and crazy as the its skyline?

    Apple Store Dubai will be completely glass, 50' cubed, and hovering unsupported about 200 feet off the ground.
  • Reply 7 of 28
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Crack reporting there. "Seems to be" seamless. What, based on an Instagram photo? Btw, isn't that a seam I see?
  • Reply 8 of 28
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Apple Store Dubai will be completely glass, 50' cubed, and hovering unsupported about 200 feet off the ground.

    Or on a Apple logo shaped island that can be seen from outer space.
  • Reply 9 of 28
    weejockweejock Posts: 32member
    shogun wrote: »
    Crack reporting there. "Seems to be" seamless. What, based on an Instagram photo? Btw, isn't that a seam I see?

    I guess that depends on your definition of seamless. From the rather clear photo shown here, the only seams I can see are at the edges between the 5 separate faces. I assume that the point being made here is that the faces are each made up of single pieces of glass.
  • Reply 10 of 28
    brianbrian Posts: 7member
    undefined
  • Reply 11 of 28
    shogun wrote: »
    Crack reporting there. "Seems to be" seamless. What, based on an Instagram photo? Btw, isn't that a seam I see?

    You're right, that is a seam. Guess that means Apple is doomed.
  • Reply 12 of 28
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    Or on a Apple logo shaped island that can be seen from outer space.

    OMG, that would be absolutely outrageous! Great thought!!
  • Reply 13 of 28
    When Tim says it will be like nothing else in the world, he does not understate or overstate, does he? This store will be a destination for living in Nd visiting Turkey for years to come.

    A little Tim praising... The man is living the Apple biography that will be written about him in future years. When authors write Tim Cook was not Steve Jobs, no matter how the authors spin the tale, they will be right... This guy may not be the showman, the visionary, the whatever Steve was, but there is no doubt Steve could not do what Tim is doing at Apple as CEO, on the supply chain, in Washington.

    Go, Tim!!
  • Reply 14 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    Amazing. Now where's the entrance and what does it look like to look down not the store? More photos, please.

  • Reply 15 of 28
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    Mall stores always seemed so drab until Apple came along.

     

    Yeah...

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Or... how about skiing in a mall?

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeMcIKnPLdA#t=1m6s

  • Reply 16 of 28
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    ireland wrote: »

    I've never been to this Mall of America but I'm glad you replied. Note that I stated they seemed drab which clearly implies "gives the impression or sensation of being something or having a particular quality" which therefore means it's my impression, not some general impression I expect everyone else to adhere to or that I'm stating as an absolute proof that can't be questioned. If you had written it I imagine it would read like this, "Every mall store was drab until Apple came along."
  • Reply 17 of 28
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by weejock View Post





    I guess that depends on your definition of seamless. From the rather clear photo shown here, the only seams I can see are at the edges between the 5 separate faces. I assume that the point being made here is that the faces are each made up of single pieces of glass.

    Or like with the Monterey Aquarium Open Seas exhibit the seams are essentially invisible. Which, given the thickness of those panels is quite the achievement.

    http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-experiences/live-web-cams/open-sea-cam

  • Reply 18 of 28
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    You're right, that is a seam. Guess that means Apple is doomed.

    Isn't that simply the back corner?

  • Reply 19 of 28
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    ^post

    Link¿

    Ok, that's lame, but fits the discontinuation of that other thread.

    Thank you.
  • Reply 19 of 28
    hewsthathewsthat Posts: 33member
    Apples Glass Castle
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