We already know that Apple is very jealous in relation to its creations and obviously does not want its original ideas to be copied, something that all companies do And to be fair, Apple has also done it on occasion on software issues. On the other hand, in this case I am referring to its iconic Apple Store that the company has inaugurated around the world and that are instantly recognized either by the image of their façade, as well as by highly defined architectural elements.
In the West, the most iconic of the Apple Store is probably the company's glass cube in its Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York. In the East, however, its most recognizable store design is arguably the nearly 10-meter glass cylinder, used in both Shanghai and Chongqing, both stores located in China.
Let us remember that the largest market for Apple is no longer the American one, but that China has risen to the first place and Apple does not want other Chinese brands like Xiaomi (very given to copying left and right), they also have their designs copied in stores so it is doing everything possible to stop this fact. Today a design patent has been discovered in reference to the glass cylinder naming Steve Jobs as one of its "inventors."
This patent would cover the design of the store for a period of 14 years, which makes me think that this design very possibly recycled in opening new stores in China over the next few years.
What makes the store design special is that the cylinder is only the entrance and the store is actually located underground like a giant "basement" reached through glass stairs. In any case, the copies of a construction element is always more complicated than copying certain design points on computer equipment or mass-manufactured smartphones, although of course it does not hurt to cover your back.
