Apple Store in Melbourne!!!!

[NeoPet_online]

I bet some of you are excited!!!

Exclusive: A glass-crowned Apple flagship shop is part of lavish $200 million redevelopment project targeting a one-time amusement center in the Australian city of Melbourne, a design proposal shown to AppleInsider have revealed.

The plan, which got underway last year, calls for the demolition of the historic but under-utilized Fun Factory building on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in the city's South Yarra suburb. Developers want to replace the structure with a three-building, mixed-use development complex comprised of ground level retail shops, a hotel and a high-rise apartment building.

According to design documents, a cubed-shaped Apple store, reminiscent of the company's flagship location in San Francisco, would consume the largest chunk of space within the retail plaza. It would lay adjacent to both the hotel and apartment complex, interconnecting with those buildings at the podium level by a distinct and suspended translucent space frame characterized by circular, interconnecting rings.

The Melbourne site, if approved, would give way to just the second Apple-owned retail shop in Australia. Development planning for an initial location at 77 King Street in Sydney was confirmed for the first time earlier this week and said to be in the final stages. There, the iPod maker has proposed a three-story shop at the base of a sky-rise, clad by a similarly proportioned glass atrium along the frontal facade.

The Fun Factory building in South Yarra is believed to have been built in the late 1880s to house the Toorak cable tram system. However, when the system was electrified in 1926, the building fell into disrepair and turned vacant till it was taken over in 1933 by Capitol Bakeries. It reopened again to much fanfare in 1979 as the Fun Factory -- then one of Melbourne's largest amusement centers. Recently, the majority of the building has again turned dormant, a furniture retailer, burger joint, and arcade withstanding.

For Apple, its decent on Australia's retail scene will clear just one of several international targets caught within its cross-hairs. Over the next two years, the Cupertino-based firm is also expected to turn up inaugural shops in Italy, Scotland, France, and Germany. Its current fleet of 170 stores stretches the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Japan.

And the pics...

[Ixist]

Oh pshah! Buchanan Street is getting an Apple Store, but do you see us scots making a big deal over it? NO!

And on that note, GLASGOW IS GETTING AN APPLE STORE!!! WH00T!!!

*hyperventilates*

[Zilary]

Houston has a couple of Apple stores in malls.

...but nothing compared to THAT. Holy Mackeral!! I want THAT Apple store!!

[Flame]

That is very very impressive looking. Shame I live in a place that won't be getting one. *grumbles*

[Asthaloth]

That is slightly more impressive than the one we have. :|
Though, pretty much anything is rather more impressive than the stuff at meadowhall so.

[Dragonfire]

Wow, I guess Apple is starting to build more stand-alone stores. It sorta reminds me of the Entrance Cube to the newest Apple Store in Manhattan.

Austin only has one Apple Store, but I wish they would build another one because the only one we have is down south. They need one up north.

[Ixist]

Wow, I guess Apple is starting to build more stand-alone stores. It sorta reminds me of the Entrance Cube to the newest Apple Store in Manhattan.

Austin only has one Apple Store, but I wish they would build another one because the only one we have is down south. They need one up north.

Well, this store is supposed to be their flagship store, so that's probably why it looks so much like a tower block.

[Uncle Xyzzy]

Some spiteful content has been made smaller for your enjoyment.

Oh, gee, a computer company is building a pretty building.

I'm gonna complain I don't have one.

Although, I'll admit it is nifty, but it's just a building.

Don'tcha just love the internet? I can... get excited about a building without even leaving my seat.

I feel mildly sorry for the engineers.

[SpiraLethe]

We have Apple stores here (actually, in Syracuse, but it's not too far away), but they're nothing like that!

[Shoyru_Lover]

Oh wow that is so cool! I actually live here haha.

[Ric]

I'm fine with the current Apple store... I think that's really unnecessary. But pretty. That Fun Factory was a waste of space.

[Inexistence]

APPLE IS THE DEVIL!

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/images/wallpapers/wedding_thumb.jpg

Windows forever!... at least until I get Linux.

[zorg]

Oh wow that is so cool! I actually live here haha.

Me too! (well, very very soon )

But i doubt i'd shop there :p cool tho.

[Alex]

Oh wow that is so cool! I actually live here haha.

I don't anymore

Kym scared me away from Melbourne.

[Dragonfire]

APPLE IS THE DEVIL!

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/images/wallpapers/wedding_thumb.jpg

Windows forever!... at least until I get Linux.

Well, seeing as how we weren't talking about the OS or even the company, just the cool store design... <_<