Tim Cook opens doors at Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store [u]

Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2019
After two years of renovation, Apple's New York City flagship location has reopened, and CEO Tim Cook was on site to open the doors and help welcome in crowds for the launch of the iPhone 11 at the bigger and better retail outlet.

Apple Fifth Avenue
Source: Traced, Inc.


Apple Fifth Avenue has been closed since 2017, and the two-year-long renovation period included structural additions and modifications, design changes and a replacement of the iconic glass cube. Demolition of the glass monolith is believed to have cost Apple $2 million alone.

The store has reopened to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 11 and the Apple Watch Series 5, with Cook performing the ceremonial door opening. Usually, Cook performs launch day meet-and-greets at Apple Palo Alto, but the Fifth Avenue store reopening was big enough to warrant a trip to New York this year.

Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail + People, Deirdre O'Brien, was also on location, helping to open the store doors and to welcome in the crowds. Marketing executives Phil Schiller and Greg Joswiak were also in attendance, according to Traced, Inc..

Apple Fifth Avenue
Source: Traced, Inc.


While it still resides in a below-grade (underground) location, Apple Fifth Avenue no longer feels like a walled-off basement. New lighting elements called "sky lenses" --
large stool-like skylights with stainless steel cladding -- protrude from the ground and pour light into the store below, while in-store LED lighting shifts its temperature according to time of day.

Additional architectural changes include a lower floor and higher ceiling, with much of the new space resulting from a reclaimed underground garage that sat below the store, reports New York Magazine. The plaza itself was also raised to afford extra headroom inside.



Excited onlookers were quick to share their reactions on Twitter, snapping photos of both the iconic glass cube as well as Cook himself.

Tim cook just showed up at Apple 5th pic.twitter.com/TuyK5XWp3O

-- EnforcerMan (@EnforcerMan777)




Apple fans had begun lining up yesterday at retail locations worldwide. Fans often spend the night outside of Apple Stores, braving the elements, just to be one of the first to own a newly launched iPhone.

Updated with additional information and photos.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    This is so retro.
    philboogiemariowincoflyingdp
  • Reply 2 of 14
    Can AI add to the piece with some history?  Wasn't the original Glass Cube made of many panes of glass (biggest avail per technology), then when tech got better, it was re-glassed with bigger panes?

    If I'm seeing the image correctly, it's 3 panes per side now?  Amazing.

    Three years from now, single panes per side!  It will be so cool they won't interrupt a pane for a door, and they'll hog out a Bilco-Door through the sidewalk!

    E.
    Soliphilboogiecornchip
  • Reply 3 of 14
    An inspiring Steve Jobs interview I came across right before the ground opening in 2006.
    edited September 2019
  • Reply 4 of 14
    did you miss some zero in there?

    Quote:
    "Apple Fifth Avenue has been closed since 2017, and the two year long renovation period is believed to have cost as much as $2 million."

    philboogie
  • Reply 5 of 14
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    mubaili said:
    did you miss some zero in there?

    Quote:
    "Apple Fifth Avenue has been closed since 2017, and the two year long renovation period is believed to have cost as much as $2 million."

    You are correct.  I think it was only the glass cube panels that cost $2M.  The complete subterranean refurb would have cost vastly more.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Can AI add to the piece with some history?  Wasn't the original Glass Cube made of many panes of glass (biggest avail per technology), then when tech got better, it was re-glassed with bigger panes?

    If I'm seeing the image correctly, it's 3 panes per side now?  Amazing.

    Three years from now, single panes per side!  It will be so cool they won't interrupt a pane for a door, and they'll hog out a Bilco-Door through the sidewalk!

    E.
    A history of the store and cube would be nice. It looks like the sides were 3 pieces high and 6 pieces wide with the roof being 6×6.


    cornchipminicoffee
  • Reply 7 of 14
    JWSC said:
    mubaili said:
    did you miss some zero in there?

    Quote:
    "Apple Fifth Avenue has been closed since 2017, and the two year long renovation period is believed to have cost as much as $2 million."

    You are correct.  I think it was only the glass cube panels that cost $2M.  The complete subterranean refurb would have cost vastly more.
    Yeah if I had to guess I’d say something like $50-75 million. 
  • Reply 8 of 14
    Soli said:
    Can AI add to the piece with some history?  Wasn't the original Glass Cube made of many panes of glass (biggest avail per technology), then when tech got better, it was re-glassed with bigger panes?

    If I'm seeing the image correctly, it's 3 panes per side now?  Amazing.

    Three years from now, single panes per side!  It will be so cool they won't interrupt a pane for a door, and they'll hog out a Bilco-Door through the sidewalk!

    E.
    A history of the store and cube would be nice. It looks like the sides were 3 pieces high and 6 pieces wide with the roof being 6×6.
    I agree, but since AI moved to Quiller Media (well, Hudler actually) the history of links is all gone. And the search function doesn't really do much. On top of that the guy who 'did' ifoapplestore dot com passed away.
    Solironn
  • Reply 9 of 14
    spice-boy said:
    This is so retro.
    Why? Many people may have ordered (when pre-orders became available) and chose the option for pick-up at the 5th Avenue store.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,950member
    Soli said:
    Can AI add to the piece with some history?  Wasn't the original Glass Cube made of many panes of glass (biggest avail per technology), then when tech got better, it was re-glassed with bigger panes?

    If I'm seeing the image correctly, it's 3 panes per side now?  Amazing.

    Three years from now, single panes per side!  It will be so cool they won't interrupt a pane for a door, and they'll hog out a Bilco-Door through the sidewalk!

    E.
    A history of the store and cube would be nice. It looks like the sides were 3 pieces high and 6 pieces wide with the roof being 6×6.



    The difference is astonishing. No wonder they wanted to redo. Certainly they must have wanted single panels from the outset but had to compromise.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    AppleExposedAppleExposed Posts: 1,805unconfirmed, member
    spice-boy said:
    This is so retro.

    What's retro the redesigned Apple Store or iPhone 11?

    cornchip said:
    Soli said:
    Can AI add to the piece with some history?  Wasn't the original Glass Cube made of many panes of glass (biggest avail per technology), then when tech got better, it was re-glassed with bigger panes?

    If I'm seeing the image correctly, it's 3 panes per side now?  Amazing.

    Three years from now, single panes per side!  It will be so cool they won't interrupt a pane for a door, and they'll hog out a Bilco-Door through the sidewalk!

    E.
    A history of the store and cube would be nice. It looks like the sides were 3 pieces high and 6 pieces wide with the roof being 6×6.



    The difference is astonishing. No wonder they wanted to redo. Certainly they must have wanted single panels from the outset but had to compromise.

    I read somewhere that Jobs wanted one single panel on each side but it was nearly impossible. 
  • Reply 12 of 14
    Was this particular location open 24/7 before? If not, it’s nice that it is now.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    Did you notice that the picture taken of Tim is NOT using an iPhone?
  • Reply 14 of 14
    badmonkbadmonk Posts: 1,294member

    Cube November 2012
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