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.
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 9, 2016
Cushman & Wakefield is bullish on U.S. economy and its property markets
Sees positive signs for construction and investment growth in warehouses, offices, and retail
Market Data | Jan 20, 2016
Nonresidential building starts sag in 2015
CDM Research finds only a few positive signs among the leading sectors.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Retail Centers | Dec 13, 2015
Aged chimney in Baku sees new life as shopping center totem
For the Twin Towers of Port Baku, the restoration requires an elaborate anchoring and stabilization process.
Retail Centers | Nov 18, 2015
Foster + Partners unveils design for Apple Store on Chicago River
The 20,000-sf store draws inspiration from the Prairie School architectural style.
Shopping Centers | Nov 12, 2015
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones breaks ground on $1 billion mixed-use development
The plan calls for retail space, including a Walmart, along with offices, apartments, and homes.
Retail Centers | Oct 12, 2015
Rotterdam’s ‘ugliest building’ turned into sleek McDonald’s branch
Since the 1960s, residents of the Dutch city of Rotterdam have been bugged by an unsightly cigar shop on Coolsingel, one of its busiest streets. It received a much needed facelift earlier this year, designed by Mei Architects.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 7, 2015
BIG designs lush, terraced mixed-use building in Sweden
Cascading glass and wooden cubes create a form similar to Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway rock formation.
Retail Centers | Oct 5, 2015
Minnesota’s massive Mall of America looks to nearly double its size
One phase is under construction, a second has been proposed, and a third is on the drawing board.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 1, 2015
Wiel Arets unveils twin, 558-foot mixed-use towers in Bahrain’s capital
The development, Bahrain Bay Tower, will consist of two residential towers connected “by a plinth of retail, office, parking, and public park space.”
