A couple of weeks ago it was announced that Apple had bought a former bank building on Madison Avenue to build a brand new Apple Store in Manhattan – of which it already has five.
Since the news was revealed, building permits have been granted for the development which describe an overhaul of the building that goes far beyond your everyday store, suggesting that the Madison Avenue outlet will become a flagship store.
The permits describe the demolition of the building’s interior while also listing Apple’s regular architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and also Eckersley O’Callaghan as structural engineers. The flagship angle could well come from Eckersley O’Callaghan’s involvement as the firm specializes in glass structures – much like Apple’s Fifth Avenue Store, and London’s flagship outlet on Regent’s Street.
The new NYC store could look similar to London’s Regent Street
If the store features similar large glass windows, alongside a new interior, little of the original building could remain.
There are already five Apple Stores in Manhattan – on 5th Avenue, and in Soho, the Meat Packing District, Lincoln Center, and Grand Central. The latest store will either become the sixth, or seventh – depending on whether the store that is planned for the World Trade Center opens before this one.
Source: ifo Apple Store