Apple is scheduled to reopen its third major store in Japan to feature modern styling alongside the iPhone XR release this Friday, and it’s going to sport an elegant glass-clad spiral staircase.
The original store also featured Apple’s signature spiral staircase built out of glass treads and a metal handrail but the renovations took it up a notch with a unique blend of materials.
A curved glass railing with a rounded corner wraps around the entire inner spiral, mirrored by a carved outer handrail. The stone used on this staircase differs from the type used in Cupertino, Kyoto, or at London’s Regent Street, likely for structural reasons.
Apple spent almost twelve months updating the store with modern styling, like sequoia tables, wooden cabinets for accessories, a private meeting space called Boardroom, and more.
The iPhone maker’s pledged to open a total of three stores in the country by the end of 2018.
VIPなお部屋に… pic.twitter.com/7xxtRTXsOi
— ACCN / Engadget JP (@ACCN) October 24, 2018
The compact four-story retail outlet is located in the same space as the previous storefront, with the floor-to-ceiling windows extending above ground level to let in as much natural light as possible. “The second floor’s glass panels seamlessly overlap both adjacent levels to create a railing and overhang at the same time,“ Steber observed.
Apple Shibuya staircases: new design, at left, and the original, at right
He added:
With more room reserved for back of house activities than before, Apple has chosen to extend upward instead of inward. Three tiny terrazzo-covered floors showcase products, accessories and tables for sessions and support.
There’s no massive video wall like in other modern stores, leading the author to speculate this is probably a “byproduct of space constraints rather than a shift in design strategy.”
According to the store’s listing found on Apple’s Retail website, the renovated outlet is scheduled to reopen this coming Friday, October 26, at 8am local time.
Image top of post courtesy of Casa Brutus