It seems the refurbishment to Apple’s Fifth Avenue retail store in New York City may have been a practice run for something a little more elaborate. Take a look at the picture above; that’s a new Apple retail store that’s coming to France and it’ll be almost entirely transparent.
Almost all of its walls and its ceiling are made from glass, with the only exception being its rear wall which will be constructed from a “tan-colored” material. What that material will be is unclear, but it will presumably conceal the contents of the stock room and the secrets of being an Apple store employee.
Like other Apple renderings, you may not have known this was an Apple store if we hadn’t have told you. There are no Apple logos, no wooden tables, no aluminum desirables, and not one group of kids playing on iPod touches.
ifoAppleStore reports that this particular store has been designed to look like this for some very good reasons:
According to the magazine, the city required Apple to build to new earthquake standards, and harmonize with the surrounding picturesque streets. The city is in the south of France, and is favored by good weather and thousands of tourists each year. The area to the west of the future store has been recently reconstructed with many upscale shops from international retailers.
The store is set to open either late this year, or early 2013. Doesn’t it look wonderful?
