Apple Central World welcomes first visitors in Bangkok
By David Malone, Associate Editor
Located at the heart of Central World Square in Bangkok, Apple Central world has officially opened.
Designed by Foster + Partners, the store faces a generous public plaza and the Erawan shrine located across the road. It is connected to the BTS walkway via a new bridge at the upper level. The building itself comprises an 80-foot diameter two-story glass drum that features a conical support with a concave vertical surface that stands on its apex. The central support is clad in timber formed of 1,461 European white oak profiles. The oak timber is split into individual lamellas and bonded onto a spruce core for stability.
A staircase with helical turbine blades that cantilever from the central structure connects the two main sales areas on the two levels. Each tread of the staircase is milled from solid blocks of stainless steel and polished to a reflective shine. The fully glazed drum surrounding both floors provides 360-degree views of the urban area.
The circular roof projects out 10 feet to provide shade to the glazed facade. This glazed facade helps to blur the boundaries between the inside and outside, establishing a new public space for the city that features a ring of trees interspersed with external benches.
