Apple Working On “Prototype” Retail Store In Palo Alto [Report]

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Mercury News is reporting that Apple is preparing construction on a new “prototype” retail store in Palo Alto, California. The store will be built about a block away from an existing Apple Store at 340 University Avenue.

With work set to begin “any day now,” the new store will reportedly feature a glass skylight and plenty of stone and metal. The $3.15 million project received its building permit on December 12th from the city of Palo Alto.

Plans filed with the city call for a glass roof and facade that will allow natural light to flood much of the 15,030-square-foot store. Stone and steel also factor heavily into the design. A basement and rear mezzanine will provide office space and storage, according to the plans.

“It’s a very unique building,” Palo Alto planning manager Steven Turner told The Daily News. “The retail space within the building is very visible to pedestrians who are walking past.”

Apple’s official statement on the new store:

“Our Palo Alto store was one of our first retail stores when we opened it nearly a decade ago and it’s been incredibly popular.

We are planning a beautiful new store just a few steps away, building on everything we’ve learned from our customers in Palo Alto and around the world.”

The two-story retail location is expected to ” feature clear glass panels, framed by stone-paneled vertical columns, under a glass entry canopy, with 10-foot-tall entry doors.” The glass roof will be slightly curved and supported by a painted steel truss system. The store will be 16,600 square-feet in size.

The current Apple Store on University Avenue is expected to close when this new location opens.

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