Apple Cancels Federation Square Store in Australia After Demolition Plans Were Denied

[PickUrPoison]

This is great news! The Yarra looks much nicer and holds more significance than that "Pizza Hut restaurant" Apple wanted to build. Apple could've picked anywhere else in the CBD...

To be fair, Apple ditched the pagoda-style building, which I agree was horrible (but not nearly the eyesore of that Yarra building, sorry!) and came up with a new design after having workshops with various stakeholders. But the new design would still have required the demolition of the Yarra building, which was the real issue for the naysayers—no matter what design Apple would have proposed to replace it.

That said, if the locals don’t want to re-develop the site, it’s certainly their call. I’m curious whether the preservationists ever proposed an alternate location? I suppose Apple will keep looking for a new site, ideally an even more desirable location that would still support a “Global Flagship Store”, which was supposed to be Apple’s “crown jewel” of the Southern Hemisphere.

 

[airshu]

Haha, choosing that Edward scissorhands of a building over a flagship store which would certainly at the very least bring a ton of tax dollars to the city. What a bad call, but their call to make I guess. I’ll never be visiting haha.

You would have travelled to Melbourne just for an Apple store?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Well, a lot of design experts here.
Read this article:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-20/federation-square-building-demolished-for-apple-store/9275498
Then tell me that the Apple Store looks like it will fit right in...

There’s really no point in posting that—that was the original design, not the final one. Apple completely re-designed it when the locals objected.

But design wasn’t the real issue at all. It turned out it wasn’t the pagoda design—it was every/all designs. The actual problem was the demolition of the Yarra building—which many locals were actually looking forward to. However, the heritage authorities decided that the Yarra building should remain due to “cultural heritage significance.” Which is kind of weird because that Yarra building was built in the early 2000s ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Mr. Dee]

Ugly building survives.

 

[antonrg]

Sorry Apple, but that building is not bad and looks rather interesting. Perhaps elsewhere would be a great location? I'm happy to see this news.

 

[lostngone]

Reminds me of this massive pile of garbage they built in UC Berkeley on prime land then had to abandon due to earthquake unsafeness

You mean the old BAMPFA?
You make it sound like they built it and then just abandon it. The building was built in 1970 and has been occupied for The majority of it’s life. Also there is still a plan to renovate it.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Sorry Apple, but that building is not bad and looks rather interesting. Perhaps elsewhere would be a great location? I'm happy to see this news.

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But it seems like there is nothing else available in the general area. It was a desirable site due to its proximity to the town square, the train station Melbourne Visitors Center and other retail shops and cafes.

Turns out a run-down mall an hour’s walk away isn’t quite as attractive to Apple for their Global Flagship store of the Southern Hemisphere. Looks like it’ll be going to Sydney instead.

 

[dilbert99]

This is great news! The Yarra looks much nicer and holds more significance than that "Pizza Hut restaurant" Apple wanted to build. Apple could've picked anywhere else in the CBD...

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that building is up there with the Scottish parliament building as being fugly.
It reminds me, perhaps by the same person, that did the ugly Wintergarden facade in Brisbane - https://www.weekendnotes.com/wintergarden/

 

[fastlanephil]

The Yara building looks like it was a designed by a grade school student who received a fail. Pretty much the standard now which passes for modern art.

 

[velo]

Just because a building is ugly doesn't automatically mean an Apple Store is a suitable replacement.

 

[old-mac-man]

Regardless of the architectural merits of the buildings, it seems the views of local people were taken into account. I applaud that if nothing else.

Plus I can't help feeling it's good for Apple to be told 'no' every now and then.

 

[dilbert99]

Well, a lot of design experts here.
Read this article:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-20/federation-square-building-demolished-for-apple-store/9275498
Then tell me that the Apple Store looks like it will fit right in...

Well a lot of people agree the existing building is ranked among the worst ever, so looks like we are all correct.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/...e-ranked-among-worst-ever-20120404-1wbum.html

 

[davidec]

It was always going to happen. The insular conservatives won out. If it was a local property developer building a 100 stories worth of shoebox apartments they would get the nod.
I’m ambiguous about it all.
Hey Apple, how about the old City Square on the corner of Collins and Swanson?

 

[entropys]

I'm glad this was scrapped as I like Fed Square as is, but it's still annoying that there's no Apple Stores in the Melbourne City.

You get what you deserve. Victoristan is becoming the place not to do business.

 

[Essaux]

That existing buildings looks atrocious... matter of taste.

 

[jdmagoo1]

Hopefully Apple can find something else in Melbourne to knock down. Can I suggest they try the Shrine of Remembrance?

I hope that's a JOKE!!!

 

[PickUrPoison]

Hopefully Apple can find something else in Melbourne to knock down. Can I suggest they try the Shrine of Remembrance?

Wow.

Are you for real? If one of your relatives were among the 8,709 Australians killed at Gallipoli you might have a different viewpoint. You are aware of World War I, are you not? Does 11 November have any meaning whatsoever to you? Is 25 April just a day off to party and have a good time?

 

[bollman]

Well a lot of people agree the existing building is ranked among the worst ever, so looks like we are all correct.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/...e-ranked-among-worst-ever-20120404-1wbum.html

Not relevant. The thing is that the square as a whole was designed like that. Changing one building would make the other buildings "worse". Apple's design is good, but it would stand out way too much. Besides, why on earth put a gigantic shrine of consumption where the plan was to create a venue for arts, culture and public events? I understand why Apple wants to be there, but I cannot fathom why the city would want that.

 

[antonrg]

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But it seems like there is nothing else available in the general area. It was a desirable site due to its proximity to the town square, the train station Melbourne Visitors Center and other retail shops and cafes.

Turns out a run-down mall an hour’s walk away isn’t quite as attractive to Apple for their Global Flagship store of the Southern Hemisphere. Looks like it’ll be going to Sydney instead.

Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. Whether the building is ugly or not, it does not mean Apple could just bulldoze whatever they want to build their own. Perhaps instead of building something completely new they could rent out a building and add their own touch to it. They do this in many other locations, Paris, London, Dubai... Their recent store on Champs-Elysées is nothing short of amazing and they simply moved into a building and made it their own. Sometimes it's best to respect the local architecture, which they clearly didn't in Melbourne. Thankfully, people have spoken and won.

 

[bice]

Haha, choosing that Edward scissorhands of a building over a flagship store which would certainly at the very least bring a ton of tax dollars to the city. What a bad call, but their call to make I guess. I’ll never be visiting haha.

Might come as a surprise to you, but to some people there are other values than dollars.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. Whether the building is ugly or not, it does not mean Apple could just bulldoze whatever they want to build their own. Perhaps instead of building something completely new they could rent out a building and add their own touch to it. They do this in many other locations, Paris, London, Dubai... Their recent store on Champs-Elysées is nothing short of amazing and they simply moved into a building and made it their own. Sometimes it's best to respect the local architecture, which they clearly didn't in Melbourne. Thankfully, people have spoken and won.

I get that to some people it feels really good to “stick it to Apple”, the big trillion dollar bully. Cut them down to size, right? Show ‘em who’s boss. “Screw you Apple, we don’t want you here.”

Awesome. Makes people feel big and powerful. Cool.

But who did the two dozen “Our city, Our Square” protestors really stick it to? Was it Apple, who will build their store in Sydney now? Or was it the 4.8 million residents of Melbourne, who will lose out on millions of dollars in tax revenue every year? Maybe the losers are all the surrounding retail shops and cafes who would have benefited from the increased foot traffic. Or maybe the 100-150 workers who would have worked at that Apple store.

But who cares, right? The big, bad Apple who wanted to destroy that 17-year old beautiful, historic Yarra building got put in their place.

I guess this is a good lesson in just how much bullying a couple dozen people can do when they’re organized. I don’t know if “the people” won, but these people sure did. Congrats to them.

https://amp.theage.com.au/melbourne...-apple-out-of-fed-square-20190210-p50wu1.html

 

[antonrg]

I get that to some people it feels really good to “stick it to Apple”, the big trillion dollar bully. Cut them down to size, right? Show ‘em who’s boss. “Screw you Apple, we don’t want you here.”

Awesome. Makes people feel big and powerful. Cool.

But who did the two dozen “Our city, Our Square” protestors really stick it to? Was it Apple, who will build their store in Sydney now? Or was it the 4.8 million residents of Melbourne, who will lose out on millions of dollars in tax revenue every year? Maybe the losers are all the surrounding retail shops and cafes who would have benefited from the increased foot traffic. Or maybe the 100-150 workers who would have worked at that Apple store.

But who cares, right? The big, bad Apple who wanted to destroy that 17-year old beautiful, historic Yarra building got put in their place.

I guess this is a good lesson in just how much bullying a couple dozen people can do when they’re organized. I don’t know if “the people” won, but these people sure did. Congrats to them.

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https://amp.theage.com.au/melbourne...-apple-out-of-fed-square-20190210-p50wu1.html

I think you are missing the point here. It isn't about sticking it to Apple. It's about the fact that locals still have a voice and it matters. Apple is known to benefit the surrounding areas/complexes, but when people do not want it, you gotta comply. There is nothing stopping Apple from talking to neighbouring buildings owners and renting out the space they need, they have the money and the corporate muscle for it.

The big bad Apple, as you just called it, could easily then demolish and build something in the centre of Paris and indeed, the surrounding neighbourhood commerce would profit, but you gotta think of bigger things and slightly more long-term.

The locals just did not want to lose their own architecture. In my opinion, this is a significant victory and not just for Melbourne. The government listened to the people, not the dollars.

 

[nameischarles]

The former Nike and now Telstra store on Bourke St would be the best spot or the GPO building/ H&M on Bourke St. I’m surprised Apple didn’t pounce on those locations many years ago.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Might come as a surprise to you, but to some people there are other values than dollars.

There are those who question the value of the 17-year old historic Yarra building, but if the heritage authority wants to keep it intact instead of redeveloping it, that’s their choice. I’m sure they can figure out something to do with it.

Maybe smaller retail stores and more cafes would be a better use than one large Apple store ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[mytdave]

I can see why they'd want to tear down that building - that is one fugly s o b.