On the surface, Apple’s new store in Hangzhou, China doesn’t look a lot different from other Apple Stores around the world – there’s plenty of glass to be found and wooden tables that house plenty of Apple products. However at a closer glance, the latest Apple Store designed by Foster + Partners is quite an architectural feat.
As Wired’s design column points out, the new store in Hangzhou has ceilings that are roughly 50 feet high, with no columns to be found. The glass panels reach from floor to ceiling without interruption, meaning Foster + Partners had to push well beyond their previous feats with the 32 foot tall Fifth Avenue Store in New York City.
Furthermore, the second floor of the new store floats over the first floor with no suspension or support. It covers the spacious first floor quite well. It’s not clear how the design firm, who late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs tapped in 2009, accomplished it.
Source: Wired