US-based technology company Apple has opened its new flagship store in Michigan, establishing a new connection between North Michigan Avenue, Pioneer Court and the Chicago River.
The new store will host the year-round ‘Today at Apple’ programming.
Apple retail senior vice-president Angela Ahrendts said: “When Apple opened on North Michigan Avenue in 2003, it was our first flagship store, and now, we are back in Chicago opening the first in a new generation of Apple’s most significant worldwide retail locations.
“Apple Michigan Avenue exemplifies our new vision where everyone is welcome to experience all of our incredible products, services and inspiring educational programmes in the heart of their city.”
Apple’s new store is set to provide a new access to the riverfront from Pioneer Court through granite staircases on both sides of the transparent store.
For this project, Apple has worked with the City of Chicago and referenced historical records to develop a store design specifically for the site.
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By GlobalDataApple chief design officer Jony Ive said: “Apple Michigan Avenue is about removing boundaries between inside and outside, reviving important urban connections within the city.
“It unites a historic city plaza that had been cut off from the water, giving Chicago a dynamic new arena that flows effortlessly down to the river.”
The building’s 111ft x 98ft carbon-fibre roof is said to have been designed to be as thin as possible, and the entire structure is supported by four interior pillars that allow the 32ft glass facades to remain unobscured.
Apple’s first location on North Michigan Avenue welcomed more than 23 million visitors since opening in 2003.
In 2003, Apple opened its first store on North Michigan Avenue.