Foster + Partners’ Apple Store in Kyoto Inspired From Traditional Japanese Houses and Lanterns
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Apple unveiled its first store in Kyoto Japan designed by British international design studio Foster + Partners. The store is located on a prominent corner plot along the historic Shijo Dori street, which has been the city’s primary shopping location sinceFoster + Partners’ Apple Store in Kyoto Inspired From Traditional Japanese Houses and Lanterns
Apple unveiled its first store in Kyoto Japan designed by British international design studio Foster + Partners. The store is located on a prominent corner plot along the historic Shijo Dori street, which has been the city’s primary shopping location since the 1600s. According to the architects, the two-story store is organized around a soaring atrium towards the rear.Foster + Partners has taken a minimalistic approach towards the design of Apple Kyoto, drawing inspiration from the materiality of traditional Japanese houses and lanterns. As reported by dezeen, the store is fronted by a translucent facade made from a lightweight timber frame and paper, overhanging a glass-walled ground floor, designed by Foster + Partners as a continuation of the street. Describing the design of the storefront, Foster + Partners states: “On the ground level, the transparent glass facade blurs the boundary between the busy street and the calm interior, inviting people into the store.”Describing the store, dezeen writes, “the entrance is marked by sliding glass doors that lead onto the central display area which is lined with wooden cabinetry and tables that showcase the latest Apple products.” At the far end of the store is the Forum with a large display screen that forms an animated backdrop for the store. The screen at the Forum is paired with a set of moveable cube-shaped stools enabling the space to be used to host free events and workshops. Further details provided by Foster + Partners states that “a discrete staircase is tucked in behind the screen, leading up to the display areas on the upper floor. Using a lightweight timber frame and special paper, the facade on the upper level is wrapped by a translucent envelope inspired by Japanese lanterns, while also reference to the traditional Japanese houses made from timber and paper.”The new store in Kyoto comes as part of Apple’s ongoing retail expansion in Japan, which became the first country to host an Apple store outside the USA in 2003. Apple Kyoto also marks Foster + Partners’ first store to be designed for Apple in Japan. The design firm has been the practice behind the designs of all of Apple’s recent stores, including the ones in Thailand; Champs-Elysees, Paris; and Macau, China.Foster + Partners is a British international studio for architecture and integrated design, headquartered in London. The practice is led by its founder and chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass and steel buildings. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more