Apple Shares Images of Upcoming Kyoto Apple Store, Which Opens Saturday

[MacRumors]

Apple today shared some new images of its first store in Kyoto, Japan, which is located on Shijō Dori street, Kyoto's main shopping corridor.

According to Apple, the Kyoto store is surrounded by many of the famous shrines and temples in the city, with the store design taking inspiration from local architecture.

The upper levels of the building are "clad in a translucent envelope inspired by Japanese lanterns," with Apple using a lightweight timber frame and special paper in homage to traditional Japanese houses.

Apple says the store is centered around a multi-level atrium where Today at Apple sessions on photography, music, and coding will be held on a daily basis. The interior also features a Genius Grove where customers can get help with Apple products and The Avenue, where iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices are shown off and are available for purchase alongside third-party accessories.

As was announced last week, the new Kyoto Apple Store is set to open at 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, August 25.

Apple Kyoto will be Apple's ninth retail store in Japan, and the first that's located in Kyoto. Apple has several other stores in Tokyo, along with locations in Osaka, Aichi, Miyagi, and Fukuoka.

Article Link: Apple Shares Images of Upcoming Kyoto Apple Store, Which Opens Saturday

 

[DeepIn2U]

It almost looks like a fake Apple Store of sorts. Inside looks very nice, just the outside.

 

[KiwiAdventure]

it's an Apple store whats the big deal.

 

[meaning-matters]

I'm longing for skeuomorphic/natural design.

I'm starting to feel alienated in a world of flat UIs, minimalistic shapes, and sans-serif communication.

 

[m0sher]

Well, at least the chairs are not bean bags.

 

[isaac_appleweed]

The Japanese-inspired lantern exterior design isn't really very beautiful. More importantly, it blocks natural light from entering the upper storeys of the store. I prefer an open design with large pieces of crystal-clear glass windows forming the facade, rather than this design. That may be boring by now, but it works far better.

 

[KPandian1]

I asked my kid to go visit this store this weekend; unfortunately, there is typhoon spoiling the trip!

Anyway, I'll get a first-hand report.

 

[JoeCassara]

All of the warmth and playfulness has been drained out of Apple stores. They look like LensCrafters from the year 2030.

 

[simonmet]

What's behind all those drawn blinds? Looks a bit dodgy!

 

[BlankSlate]

I like it. It’s very

 

[bosatsu]

The Japanese-inspired lantern exterior design isn't really very beautiful. More importantly, it blocks natural light from entering the upper storeys of the store. I prefer an open design with large pieces of crystal-clear glass windows forming the facade, rather than this design. That may be boring by now, but it works far better.

Western countries and Japan have a different view upon light and structures.
To get a glimpse of this aesthetic, I recommend reading this essay: In Praise of Shadows, by Junichiro Tanizaki.

 

[BuddyTronic]

The Japanese-inspired lantern exterior design isn't really very beautiful. More importantly, it blocks natural light from entering the upper storeys of the store. I prefer an open design with large pieces of crystal-clear glass windows forming the facade, rather than this design. That may be boring by now, but it works far better.

Yeah, like how Wal-Mart and Home Depot do it

(Sarcasm )

 

[Griffo569]

Lived in Kyoto for four years without an Apple store... now I need to go back!

 

[Wiesenlooser]

It almost looks like a fake Apple Store of sorts. Inside looks very nice, just the outside.

It’s inspired from Japanese architecture.

I personally find it beautiful.

 

[jpn]

What's behind all those drawn blinds? Looks a bit dodgy!

there are around 4 different levels of translucency that are commercially available in this type of window blind.
ranging from very opaque at one end of it, to a kind of translucency on the other end that you allows you to see objects outside albeit in a hazy way, and allows people looking in to see you quite clearly if there are lights on inside.
this supposed "traditional paper blinds" effect could actually be glass itself from the looks of the photos. apple loves glass and using glass in this way would be a continuation of apple's design aesthetic.

this being kyoto, its likely that apple is attempting to be aware of an aesthetic that permeates the city.

whether or not this actually all works or not requires us to actually go there and see for ourselves.

i agree with posters in this thread who are simply pointing out that its very different (in some ways) from more recent apple stores.
on the other hand, apple has clearly been trying to resonate more with local surroundings for at least the last 5 years or so, as well.
the built in hand-railing on the stairs is straight outa apple campus Steve Jobs auditorium.

transparency. glass. hong kong ifc mall. noisy.
light play. translucency. kyoto. reflective.

maybe.

 

[BruceEBonus]

Cold clinical white walls. Hard wooden chairs. Massive empty space. Big brother imagery. Characterless atmosphere. Corporate faceless frontage. Official undiscounted pricing. What’s not to like, Citizen Smith? Is there a problem here? Guards! This Citizen is having non-Apple thoughts. Arrest him!

(It would later turn out that the miscreant was a “Guardian Of The (Samsung) Galaxy” and was harbouring a Note 9 in his back pocket all the time! Can you believe that, Citizens?)

 

[patent10021]

For work I live and travel between Japan and another locale in East Asia. My Japanese gf is in Kyoto so I'm basically living in Kyoto when I'm in Japan. We live about five blocks away from this store. Been watching the construction for the past half year or so. They tried to keep it under wraps but it was pretty obvious. It's a good location retail wise of course (any location is since Kyoto is a tourist trap) but a ****** location for an Apple store. The pic of the building looks nothing like that in broad daylight. It's a boring building with an ECC English school and restaurant floor at the top. The Osaka store is so much better. Of course the interior of the Kyoto store is nice. The reason they used the white paper design on the windows is because the store building/location is so boring there is nothing else they could do to make it look interesting.

My chance for a rant. I've been living in Japan for over a decade. Kyoto has turned into a lame tourist trap and consists of about 80% tourists (mostly loud trashy types who think Kyoto is the traditional Japan). Any cool modern contemporary Japanese minimalist houses you see that look like they could be in magazines are actually hostels or newer ryokan. It's over-run by tourists and construction of hostels preparing for more 2020 invading trash. Every day the streets are packed with dumb tourists taking picture of temples and shrines that are all basically replicas since they've been renovated with fake materials. Then you have swaths of tourists strolling the streets in their fake yukata/kimono from the rental shops for a "traditional" Japanese experience after lining up at McDonalds because they can't afford a real meal after paying for a trip to invade Kyoto.

The Kyoto locals pretend to like all the tourists because well, you know, it's now a tourist economy like Okinawa. But actually the locals like Okinawan locals can't stand the trash that strolls in. Waking everyone up in the morning dragging their suitcases along the sidewalk and transforming the beauty of the former capital into Disney Land.

 

[Anastasiaaa]

It looks nice and clean, but a little bit too cold for my taste. Maybe it's because they were inspired by Japanese architecture...

 

[patent10021]

It looks nice and clean, but a little bit too cold for my taste. Maybe it's because they were inspired by Japanese architecture...

It looks like **** because the building/outside is NOT inspired by Japanese architecture. It's a regular office building with an English school, offices and restaurant floor.

 

[Rogifan]

All of the warmth and playfulness has been drained out of Apple stores. They look like LensCrafters from the year 2030.

Yeah Jobs era Apple stores were so warm...

 

[kazmac]

Eh, feels like today’s Apple store: cold and corporate. The naming conventions are silly: Genius Grove, the Avenue?!?

It is not welcoming.

Really not looking forward to the 5th Avenue revamp, save for it having more space (easier to get in and out in a hurry, if I even bother.)

 

[Rogifan]

Eh, feels like today’s Apple store: cold and corporate. The naming conventions are silly: Genius Grove, the Avenue?!?

It is not welcoming.

Really not looking forward to the 5th Avenue revamp, save for it having more space (easier to get in and out in a hurry, if I even bother.)

When were Apple stores not cold? How is this:

warmer than this:

To me Apple stores were always clinical. I actually think getting rid of the silver/gray/metallic makes the stores less cold.

 

[jpn]

macotakara has more photos of its own of this store (photo rights are macotakara).

http://www.macotakara.jp/blog/apple_store/entry-35571.html#

i think the Boardroom concept, already in use in several USA stores, for corporate customers, is great and needed in Japan.

 

[0947347]

It looks nice and clean, but a little bit too cold for my taste. Maybe it's because they were inspired by Japanese architecture...

Japanese architecture is not cold.
Japanese version of western style is cold.
To me, this store is just a western style store.

 

[macguru212]

Very, very subdued - quite fitting for Kyoto.