Before it opens its doors, and during the long process that the works have lasted, the new Apple store located overlooking the Chicago River has already become iconic for all the followers of the Cupertino-based firm. The two-story store will be located on North Michigan Avenue, near the historic Michigan Bridge, along the north bank of the river. This new Apple Store will feature glass walls and a carbon fiber roof, which for the past two months has displayed the white Apple logo, giving the impression from above as if it were a MacBook Air.
Apple removed the logo from the roof at the end of August, but it is not clear if before the opening it will add it again after checking how aesthetically it is beautiful. Once again, the design of this new Apple Store has been carried out by the architecture studio Foster + Partners and pays tribute to the architect Frank Lloyd Wright of Chicago. According to the plans, dating from 2015, the building covers 2.000 square meters and it replaces an old restaurant. Unlike other Apple Stores, the construction of this new Apple Store has taken only one year.
A long staircase leads from street level to a walkway in front of the store, although the interior is also accessible via an elevator for people with mobility problems. Ahrendts, stated in the last keynote, that Manhattan's iconic Fifth Avenue Apple store will reopen late next year. He also stated that the street level glass cube has been completely remodeled and will return to its original location. The Apple Stores collectively receive more than 500 million visitors a year. When this new Apple Store opens on October 20, it will be number 497. There are three left for bingo.