Apple Store Set to Replace Art Deco Landmark

Artist's impression of a new Apple Store in "Emporium Melbourne," a contorversial shopping center being planned in Australia.

Just weeks after getting permission to tear down his historic mansion, Steve Jobs is embroiled in more wrecking ball controversy.

Preservationists in Melbourne, Australia, are up in arms about the imminent destruction of a historic art deco building in favor of a new Apple store.

Developers have just received permission to rip down Lonsdale House — described as one of the city’s finest examples of art deco architecture.

In its place they’re building a new shopping center called “Emporium Melbourne,” and are angling for Apple to be the anchor tenant. See the artist’s impression above.

Apple already has four stores in Australia, most notably the huge landmark store on Sydney’s George Street, which drew a huge crowd when it opened last year.

The Save Lonsdale House campaign say there’s no reason the building should be demolished, except to make more room for delivery trucks. In the past Apple has been sensitive to historic buildings. The Apple Store in New York’s Soho district, for example, is housed in a historic post office.

Last month, Jobs reached a deal to save his historic Jackling House mansion in Woodside California, which he’d been trying to demolish for years. Jobs will pay $600K to angel investor Gordon Smythe to have the mansion dismantled and moved.

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More on the Lonsdale House controversy in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Melbourne's finest example of art deco, Lonsdale House, is going under the wrecking ball to make room for a new Apple store. More info at http://blog.adonline.id.au/lonsdale-house/

Via 9to5Mac.

5 comments »

About the author

Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in Apple, News, Retail Stores, Steve Jobs |

Ed
Apple Store will become the new art-tech-cool landmark of the city.
Noam
I appreciate you posting stories like this. It is a utter travesty that this building is set to be torn down. After a futile effort to save the old Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, I know first hand what it feels like to lose a historical building. This cannot be allowed. Let’s try to mobilize some people to save this thing.
You would also think that a company that takes such inspiration from pieces of art would try to help save these gems. I can’t imagine Mr. Ive very happy about the destruction of a building that may have inspired others to create art as he so masterfully has.
CharleiBing
Whether Ed or Noam are right on this is up for debate, but your article’s headline is really misleading. The building is NOT being torn down to make way for an Apple store. The facts (despite the stalking horse put up by the preservationists) are that a developer has received permission to knock down the building and replace it with something, and they are hoping that Apple will be the flagship store, so they put the Apple logo front and centre. No one has signed up to anything, and this is nothing more than an architect’s rendering. Sheesh… why doesn’t everyone calm down?
Kiki’s Friend
And there are not four Apple Retail stores in Oz. Thanks for fact checking. It would have taken two clicks of the mouse to find out that there are five and a sixth location is taking job applications. So much for your reliability in accuracy and reporting.
Mordt
I’m all for ripping this building down, i live in Melbourne and think a lot of buildings here that are considered listed for historic reasons are ridiculous.