Apple opens its first Flagship store in Singapore, on the tree-lined Orchard Road. The store is designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Apple’s design team led by chief design officer Jonathan Ive and senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts. Its design “reflects the vibrancy and innovative spirit” of the State of Singapore, which also happens to be one of the world’s greenest cities. With that in mind, the designers worked on creating a social attraction that blends with nature, or as they would describe it, “blurs the boundaries between inside and outside.”
Courtesy of Nigel Young l Foster + Partners
The design theme for the flagship store was inspired by the past state of the avenue which used to be dominated by fruit and nutmeg orchards. The wide pavement at the storefront acts as a social gathering area, shaded by a 7.6-meter-long cantilevering canopy and eight grown trees. The trees form a ‘green orchard’ which provides a “natural meeting place amid the dense urban environment.” The 36.5-meter-wide façade is glazed from floor to ceiling, blurring the borderline between inside and outside the store.
Courtesy of Nigel Young l Foster + Partners
“This is one of our greenest Apple spaces yet – not only does all the energy come from renewable sources, but it is filled with lush trees,” said Stefan Behling, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners. “It also breaks down the boundaries between the inside and outside, with the greenery cascading through the store from the mezzanine to the ground floor and out to onto Orchard Road, creating the most welcoming civic gesture.”
Courtesy of Nigel Young l Foster + Partners
Inside the store features two large stone walls and two hand-carved staircases, sculptured by Italian artisan from Castagna stone. The spectacularly smooth staircases take visitors to the mezzanine floor which contains the world’s largest Genius Grove. The Genius Grove has twelve Ficus Ali trees which enhance the indoor atmosphere by refreshing the air, providing a visually aesthetic appeal, and boosting the aural qualities of the space. The store also houses Apple’s widest video screen in the world (10.4m x 4.5m) in its “Forum” which is to be a meeting place for creative pros and experts in music, art, or app development. They can use the space to educate and entertain the users of the flagship store.
“Orchard Road enables Singapore to become a new creative hub, a beacon for the community, and a global center for ‘Today at Apple’ the newly launched experience to connect people to their passions, take them deeper and connect them closer to one another and their community,” states Foster + Partners on their website.
