singapore's newest apple store is one of the most unique in the world like a shining glass
soccer ball kicked off the city's edge into the sea the stark structure sits in the waters of
singapore's glamorous marina bay and positioned in a way that makes it appear to float it has an
airy modern interior and sits against a backdrop of skyscrapers in the heart of the intensely
modern asian city the marina bay store opened in september 2020 after a four-year planning
and construction process it's located in one of asia's most iconic locations and from inside it
offers a full 360 degree panoramic view of the city the building's glass structure is made up
of 114 windows and only 10 structural supports so the panoramic view of the marina is almost
totally unobstructed each purpose-made window is 12 meters in length a huge piece of beautifully
curved glass the glass fades getting darker the higher up the structure you look with clear view
highlighting clarity at eye level outside the building highlights reflections of the pristine
water of the bay and the lights of the towering nearby skyscrapers which include the 245 metre
sail building and the 207 metre marina bay sands hotel with its top floor swimming pool
like many apple stores the interior of the singapore glass ball feels spacious with a number
of tables displaying all the latest products but also filled with open space the tables themselves
are carefully individually lit to ensure apple's tech is shown in the best light a low overall
ambient light also ensures the eye is drawn to the store's two most important features the products
and the view the store's interior space is also lined with several trees carefully positioned
to add to the careful shading of the place that shading is mainly provided by custom-built sun
protection that stretches right around the top of the glass dome the sun barriers or baffles are
not just for blocking out the sun they cool the building and at night time allow colorful lighting
effects apple as a brand have long used open spaces and beautiful design to portray the luxury
feel to customers that they want to surround their products and this stunning design-focused space is
no exception the interior planting here is a neat green reflection of singapore's garden city ethos
and apple's commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030. the oversized plant pots also double
as welcoming seeds with leather padded edges the central sphere at the heart of the store
is entered via two walkways one is an underwater passageway where apple's products line the walls
and the store's customary genius staff assist in exploring product options or fixing technical
difficulties this entrance is accessed via the exclusive marina bay sands shopping mall
and brings shoppers almost unwittingly under the water as they enter the main entry though involves
a stroll over the water and straight into the heart of the building elsewhere a private part
of the building takes apple executives under the water of the marina bay back in the heart of the
store there's a forum with a huge screen and a stage area where product presentations take place
when it first opened the store was so popular that it had to take bookings for slots to visit
the store was designed by foster and partners architecture firm whose project lead david
summerfield said of the design the structure dissolves the boundary between the inside and
outside creating a minimal platform that floats gently in the water looking out over the bay and
the spectacular singapore skyline one of the key influences foster and partners had in mind when
coming up with the concept for this building was the pantheon in rome the 7th century pantheon has
a square portico at the front and there's no sign of the pillars in the apple building but
apple marina bay's gentle interior dome and airy spherical space show obvious parallels with the
temple there's even an oculus at the highest point of the sphere shining a dramatic beam of light
down into the space below as an added nighttime benefit apple's glass sphere has a perfect view of
marina bay's spectacular water show spectra it's a 15 minute four part display of lights fountains
lasers projections and special effects that runs outside the window every evening to a backdrop
of a choreographed orchestral soundtrack in fact all in all the waterfront is one of the
world's most modern and developed and has garnered a reputation as one of singapore's key attractions
so naturally a designer brand like apple is happy to demand attention right in the heart of it
that said it's not the first waterbound luxury shopping hub to find its way into marina bay
designer label louis vuitton have their own island store just 150 meters away being located in such a
multinational hub the marina bay store is set up to greet people from all over the
world between them the team of 148 staff speak 23 different languages they are the result of a
long-established apple team in singapore apple has been in the city-state since 1981 when the
young company began manufacturing many of its circuit boards for apple ii computers in the city
as well as the other two apple singapore retail locations the marina bay store opened in the midst
of the covid19 pandemic to unexpected success and continues to be one of the most popular
attractions in all of singapore and another jewel in apple's growing global retail empire