Following the opening of Louis Vuitton’s first flagship store on water almost a decade ago, Singapore‘s luxury shopping mall Marina Bay Sands gains another hotly anticipated waterside retail space. Officially opening its doors tomorrow at 10AM – the obligatory reservations are fully booked – is Apple‘s third and most spectacular outpost in the Lion City, featuring an entirely different look and feel than any other Apple retail space on the planet. Designed by acclaimed architecture practice Foster + Partners, it’s inspired by the magnificent Pantheon in Rome, featuring an oculus located at the apex of the dome which provides a flooding ray of light that travels through the space. The interior of the glass is lined with custom baffles, each uniquely shaped to counter sun angles and provide a nighttime lighting effect. Trees line the interior of the dome, providing additional shading and soft shadows through the foliage.
Linked to the quay by a sleek walking bridge, the Apple store is entirely surrounded by water and offers 360-degree panoramic views of the city and its ever-changing skyline. The sphere is a first-of-its-kind, all-glass dome structure that is fully self-supported, comprised of 114 pieces of glass with only 10 narrow vertical mullions for structural connection. Upon entering the store, shoppers find Apple‘s coveted merchandise displayed on elongated wooden tables and receive tech support from staff. The Forum is centred around a video wall, which will serve as the stage for Today at Apple sessions, featuring a rotation of local artists, musicians, and creators. Escalators lead to an underwater corridor filled with iPhones and other Apple devices, in addition to a boardroom where entrepreneurs and developers receive training and advice sessions.
Apple
2 Bayfront Avenue, Shop B2-06 (Marina Bay Sands)
018972 Singapore
Telephone: +65 1800 4074949
Daily 12-8
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