A MacBook Air lid-looking roof covers the invisible facade of Apple's new Michigan store designed by Foster + Partners. Norman Foster's studio has created a vivid and fully transparent avenue for Apple's new platform in Michigan, which reconnects Chicago to its river. 

Inspired by the pulse of Chicago’s artistic energy, the new avenue is located at the intersection of the Chicago River and North Michigan Avenue’s 'Magnificent Mile', Apple Michigan Avenue cascades down from Pioneer Court to the river’s edge, creating new connections between the city and the river.

Officially opened to the public on October 20, Foster + Partners' design removes all boundaries between inside and outside, acting like "a shining element" and a smooth transition between the historic city plaza  and the river.

Developed in collaboration with the design team at Apple led by chief design officer, Sir Jonathan Ive and Angela Ahrendts, senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores and Foster + Partners, the project reflects Apple’s commitment to the cities and communities by combining it with true choice of material and architecture.

"Apple Michigan Avenue is about removing boundaries between inside and outside, reviving important urban connections within the city. It unites a historic city plaza that had been cut off from the water, giving Chicago a dynamic new arena that flows effortlessly down to the river," said Sir Jonathan Ive.

Pioneer Court is an urban plaza steeped in Chicago history. It is the spot where Point de Sable – the founding father of Chicago – first lived and worked. Apple Michigan Avenue sits atop a wide new public stair, created to lead down from the plaza to the river. The gentle descent of levels creates active spaces where people can connect, create, and experience the city and river together.

The stairway transitions seamlessly between the outside and inside. It passes through the building’s walls – dematerialized to pure glass – and connects to the store’s buzzing center, sheltered by an impossibly thin carbon fiber roof, supported on slender stainless-steel columns. 

As the interior steps down to the river, it acts as a seating space around the Forum – the hub of today at Apple and a live source of creativity, education and entertainment.

"We fundamentally believe in great urban life, creating new gathering places, and connecting people in an analog way within an increasingly digital world," said Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners.

"The design of Apple Michigan Avenue embodies this in its structure and materiality with a glass wall that dissolves into the background, revealing the only visible element of the building – its floating carbon fiber roof," added Behling.

Apple’s original North Michigan Avenue store opened in 2003 with 58 employees and now employs a team of 250. Apple Michigan Avenue is Apple’s first in a new generation of the most significant worldwide retail locations.

Image © Apple

To celebrate the opening, Apple Michigan Avenue will host "The Chicago Series," a month-long set of events that will provide attendees with the tools to pursue their passions, from photography and music to coding and app design.

Apple and Foster + Partners have been collaborating on Apple projects for many years. The studio is still working on Apple's mega campus in Cupertino, California. Foster + Partners recently completed Steve Jobs Theater located within the Apple's campus. 

Foster + Partners recently completed the Apple Dubai Mall with one of the world’s largest kinetic installations alongside with Singapore's first Apple flagship store, named Orchard Road. 

All images courtesy of Foster + Partners, unless stated otherwise 

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