Apple may have found perfect spot for its flagship Melbourne store

Apple is reportedly planning to open a new flagship Australian retail store in Federation Square, Melbourne.

According to a new report, Apple is currently negotiating to replace an existing “deconstructivist” metal building in the square with a $50 million glass structure, which sounds reminiscent of Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue store.

Apple has been searching for a Melbourne flagship store location for close to a decade. While it already has three existing Melbourne stores — based in the Chadstone, Doncaster and Southland shopping centers — none of these are central or eye-catching enough to be considered flagship stores.

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Among the considerations for a flagship location are the dimensions, with “at least 1500 to 3000 square metres of floor space” required, and for it to be a space likely to garner sufficient amounts of attention.

Federation Square fulfills both criteria, ranking among Melbourne’s best-loved public open spaces. One of its most famous features is a giant screen, capable of showing live events to crowds of thousands.

As expected, the article doesn’t feature an official confirmation or denial from Apple. Provided that the report is accurate, it’s not known when the new Apple Store could open — although the report claims that demolishing an existing building in the area is “likely to upset Melbourne’s close-knit architecture community.”

Source: The Age

Luke Dormehl

Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.