LESS IS MORE, CONTINUED: THE APPLE FLAGSHIP STORE NYC

The New Glass Cube, Apple Flagship Store 5th Ave NYC

The Flagship Apple store at 767 Fifth Ave.; which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and its giant glass cube entrance is noted as one of the most photographed landmarks in New York City, but for the last several months the store has been under wraps for a redesign. The much anticipated unveiling took place on November 4, 2011. And she's a beauty. This is a clear case of LESS IS MORE.

I sit out on this plaza often for the people watching and a bit of sunbathing during the afternoons. It's interesting to see tourist engage with the building and take pictures in front of it. It's a store after all not a landmark...but it's Apple and it's Steve Jobs' statement on Design and Simplicity. Notice the woman to the left in the picture above holding her hands up as if holding the apple for her friend taking her picture. While I was having lunch the other day I watched two teenagers work on the correct perspective for each of them to be photographed biting the center floating iconic Apple.

The Apple store in July 2011 under wraps

The redesign project involved completely removing the glass cube entrance at the store and reinstalling it, by removing 90 panels and replacing them with only 15 seamless panes of glass. In addition to replacing the cube, Apple removed protective bollards, installed new pavers around the perimeter and removed/reinstalled surrounding water drains. Permits filed with New York's Department of Buildings told that the entire project would cost Apple approx. $6.7 million. 

Per Apple insider, the recently deceased, former Apple CEO, paid for the original glass cube project himself and was the actual owner of the structure. It had been agreed upon that when the 20 year lease was complete the original cube was to be hauled off and replaced with a comparable structure.

Makes me wonder where the original cube is now and who owns this new simplified cube?

The original glass cube was completed May 2006 (Photo via Appleinsider.com)