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

[PickUrPoison]

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.

Well there are plenty of locals that can’t stand that building, but as I said in a previous post, if the heritage authority wants to keep it, that’s their choice. The Yarra building is saved.

I’m sure they can do something with it, or maybe it’ll just sit there looking all... Yarra

 

[GuruZac]

Good decision. The Yarra building shouldn’t be bulldozed for any commercial purposes unless it’s replaced by another public space.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Good decision. The Yarra building shouldn’t be bulldozed for any commercial purposes unless it’s replaced by another public space.

It’s a decent sized plot of land, maybe a really nice park or a small amphitheater or something like that?

I’m sure there’s a project that would make that building bulldozer-worthy

Is it wrong to say I wanna be at the controls of that ‘dozer?

 

[Woyzeck]

Unlike most people here i totally agree that public space shouldn‘t be sacrificed for commercial shops. Apple, go where the other shops are. There‘s more to life than commercial activity.

And besides that - Apple‘s architectural style is far from good. Most of their buildings look old already.

 

[rockarollr]

Has Apple done anything positive lately? I’m being serious, here...

 

[Euroamerican]

Wow, that Berkeley building pictured is a truly the fugly one. Brutalist architecture, no?

Anyway,

I too am glad to see that public opinion still matters down there in M.

 

[Donoban]

Fed Square is so boring... what a shame.

People really don't like change.

 

[MoreRumors?]

The Yarra Building looks like a large Apollo Lunar Module. However, the residents of Melbourne wishes have to be respected.

 

[robbietop]

To each their own. That building is ugly as sin.

 

[AutisticGuy]

Altruistically I’d love to see them build where no one else will—impossible and unloved spaces—and let it become a catalyst for change and improvement in the surrounding area.

Thanks so much for the feedback, Dbolander. After much thought, we’ve decided the site of Chernobyl will be a good opportunity for us to build as it’s a much underserved area.

-Tim Cook

 

[redgreenski]

What a relief! Fed square is unique, and everything there just “clicks”. And I love it! Sure, many people say it’s ugly, but having two completely different styles would be even worse

Okay I guess I am not seeing the big picture because the building on this picture looks absolutely hideous.

 

[NMBob]

The Yarra building looks like some giant troll crumpled a huge paper and threw it there!

It looks like Yara Greyjoy's brother's missing parts.

So 17 years is the attention span of "historic" now? Good to know.

 

[burgman]

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.

Are you old enough to travel alone? Uhh...haha

 

[Hitrate]

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.

View attachment 830489


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

Look at the whole metoo / feminist movement. Hysteria from minorities collecting into groups is something we in 2019 are still batteling with, perhaps now more than ever. Cities, land, buildings, reporting your neighbor etc. is what humans have left, now that ego, censorship and bulliying has taken over reasoning and intelligent thought.

 

[seanofa]

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.

View attachment 830489


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

The area already receives the most foot traffic of any intersection in the city, and the tax revenue (in VAT/GST) collected would be collected by the Federal Government, which does not evenly distribute it amongst states. No net benefit to bulldozing a publicly-owned building for a private corporation. As it is not a land sale there is no stamp duty, perhaps payroll tax but negligible at this point as the city grows by ~50,000+ per annum which outpaces any economic benefit of a store employing a hundred or so max. Sorry. Perhaps the 4.8 million Melbournians can go to one of the several other Apple stores dotted across the wider metropolitan area, as they currently do.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

Thats a shame, I looked forward to an Apple store in fed square. Australians are acting like this is the first time Apple has put stores in historic buildings. Apple seem to have a good track recorded with it. Melbourne CBD desperately needs an Apple store.

My fellow Australians are a weird bunch, the square is only 17 years old, it's not like its the Pantheon. The square itself was criticised for being as ugly as sin (and still is). Now they are acting like its a sacred historical site that shouldn't be polluted with corporate interests. Come on.

Besides there are other corporate stores in the square like 7-11. The Apple design fitted with the style of the square. So I really cant see a reason why it should not go ahead.

 

[Edsel]

The Sydney Opera House had many detractors when it opened in 1973. Now it's an iconic structure known throughout the world. Federation Square only opened in 2002 and it should be given some time for its architecture to "mature".

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Art's (and architecture can certainly be art) beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm having trouble seeing the appeal of that building though.

 

[Hitrate]

Art's (and architecture can certainly be art) beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm having trouble seeing the appeal of that building though.

Yes but there is no denying that normal functioning humans have taste and can detect crap from art. Not everything created is by defition art.

 

[burgman]

Look at the whole metoo / feminist movement. Hysteria from minorities collecting into groups is something we in 2019 are still batteling with, perhaps now more than ever. Cities, land, buildings, reporting your neighbor etc. is what humans have left, now that ego, censorship and bulliying has taken over reasoning and intelligent thought.

All this because a locals decided not to allow Apple to move in and knock down a building important to them? Why did Apple have to have that one piece of property? Then go home when they don’t get exactly their way, Sounds like a bully to me.

 

[cube]

The Sydney Opera House had many detractors when it opened in 1973. Now it's an iconic structure known throughout the world. Federation Square only opened in 2002 and it should be given some time for its architecture to "mature".

If you look beyond the outermost façade, that Yarra Building seems like a mess, not comparable at all.

 

[LordVic]

All this because a locals decided not to allow Apple to move in and knock down a building important to them? Why did Apple have to have that one piece of property? Then go home when they don’t get exactly their way, Sounds like a bully to me.

This fact seems to escape most of the posters here, who seem to think Anything apple wants to do is immediate gold in comparison to others.

Simple fact: The city decided that they would like to preserve the building for heritage purposes. Apple can either work within the confines of that existing building, or leave.

Just because you (general posters) think the building is ugly is completely and utterly irrelevant to the conversation. The City has deemed it a heritage site due to their own reasons and they are perfectly entitled to do so, whether there was 1 protester, or a million. Sitting here a world away claiming that because the building is ugly apple should have the right to destroy it, is pretty telling about how you formulate your opinions, and that's "whatever Apple tells me".

we all likely have buildings that have some historic value (even if they're not that old, age itself doesn't necessarily equate to historic value). We all likely have buildings we'd rather not see torn down just to put another store in in our hometowns/cities. Just try using some empathy for a change instead of just hating on anything that doesn't give Apple their way.

 

[az431]

Altruistically I’d love to see them build where no one else will—impossible and unloved spaces—and let it become a catalyst for change and improvement in the surrounding area.

Just FYI, Apple is a business.

 

[travelsheep]

If Apple continues its course then they won't need any stores in the future.

 

[entropys]

The Sydney Opera House had many detractors when it opened in 1973. Now it's an iconic structure known throughout the world. Federation Square only opened in 2002 and it should be given some time for its architecture to "mature".

I hope you aren’t equating the Yarra building with the Sydney opera house? That would be really...embarrassing.

Also the complaints were about the cost, not its looks.