New York, 5th Avenue – one of the most exclusive shopping miles known worldwide has obtained a new architectonic symbol: the Apple Cube. Even with skyscrapers surrounding it, the glass cube with its 10m (33ft) long edges is able to set a distinctive, as well as innovative milestone. The typical concept of all-glass stairs for the Apple High Profile Stores has been advanced here in various dimensions: together with the glass cube and the “floating” illuminated Apple logo, a cylindrical glass lift in the centre of the store compliments the structure and arouses interest and zest for design. In an artful manner the centred glass cube contributes to the impression of the 1000m²  (11,000sqft) shop floor being flooded with light – even though the store is actually underground. The impression is reversed by night: New York’s spectacular skyline reflects itself in the glass panes making it look like a starry sky, whilst the glass cube is illuminated from the inside.

A special technical highlight are the supporting glass fins made of 5 layers of laminated sheet glass/heat-strengthened glass. With a length of 10m (33ft) they have set a new benchmark in the limits of glass construction. Therefore, it is not surprising that the design concepts which were put into the glass cube gained broad recognition and positive response in the media, as well as in the Internet – even before the Apple High Profile Store opened its doors on the 19th May 2006. Now there is indeed a “Big Apple” in the Big Apple – on 5th Avenue between 58th and 59th Street.

Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, San Francisco