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I really want to visit that Apple store. Maybe I'll get a chance to go there this summer. Isn't it the biggest one in the world?

It [Covent Garden] was at one point, now it's Amsterdam (according to Wikipedia)

The Covent Garden store is the nicest one I've been to, but I've only been to the stores in and around London, and a couple of boring ones tucked away in Malls in other cities. If you are in London, definitely choose to go to Covent Garden instead of Regent Street.
 
The ugliest I know is in Haarlem, Netherlands

Haarlem is a City full of beautiful buildings and then Apple moves in here:

haarlem_hero.jpg
 
...

Convent Gardens looks beautiful.

For NY, I'd say 5th Avenue. Not a fan of the others (while I appreciate that they kept the architecture of Grand Central intact (as mandated)), when that store is mobbed it's awful navigating through.
 
The Apple Stores found in Amsterdam, Fifth Avenue, Opéra Store (Paris), Covent Garden, and Barcelona Passeig de Gracia are stunning. Beautiful architecture. I wish we had an Apple Store here :(
 
The Apple Stores found in Amsterdam, Fifth Avenue, Opéra Store (Paris), Covent Garden, and Barcelona Passeig de Gracia are stunning. Beautiful architecture. I wish we had an Apple Store here :(

Cheer up. At least you're well travelled :)
 
Most Beautiful/Ugliest Apple Stores

Cheer up. At least you're well travelled :)


Funny thing is, I've been to London and Paris several times but have never visited the Apple Stores in my post. I've just seen a lot of pictures and video tours. I love looking at the architectural designs of Apple Stores from around the world. They're very unique and impressive. So far the ones I've mentioned in my posts are the best I've seen (on the Internet).
 
All the ones I've been into have been mall stores. The closest one is the one at Montgomery Mall

montgomerymall_hero.jpg


It's small but what really gets me is the smell. Everytime I go in there the air is musty and just foul. As such, I usually wind up going to the one in Tysons Corner, VA instead. Little bigger and the air doesn't smell as foul
 
It has this beautiful glass spiral staircase. Apparently Apple have staircases like this patented, not sure if it's true though (anyone?).

Sorry for the Google link, but its the only one I could find on short notice:

http://www.google.com/patents/USD478999?dq=D478999&ei=TmpWTsXEL8ilsQLbnc2dDA

The art shows a linear stair instead of circular, but the circular is covered as well by the patent due to the suspension methods. Notice that Steve is listed as the lead inventor on the patent. Several sites had articles on this when the first staircase was unveiled. Kind of hard for people to deny he ever "created" anything when they see that. Of course they still do.
 
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None are ugly, just clean, plain fron the outside like typical mall stores with typical glass fronts, nothing special about those from the outside other than the large white Apple. ;) NYC, Manhatten Store adjacent to the South End of Central Park should be included in the cool designs.

NYC-Apple-Store-Cube.jpg



Apple-store-New-York-5th-Ave-22.jpg


In Houston, Texas, I like the one in Highland Village, although I hate driving there. Interesting that 4 blocks away is a second store in the Gallaria Mall.

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The Apple Store Chestnut Hill, MA is one of the worst on size alone. It's the size of a shoebox and claustrophobic at best with the number of people in there. They're building a bigger store nexdoor currently. I suppose it's hard to make a good looking store in a mall front, but this place is pretty lame for such a luxury/premium mall.

image.jpeg

Westfarms in Connecticut is pretty bad. It used to be the only Apple Store. At least it's more spacious than some of the others.
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I stopped at this Apple Store one time in Evergreen Walk (CT) for an iPhone emergency on my way from NYC to Boston. Pretty hideous, especially for an outdoor mall.
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I wonder what it takes to keep all that glass clean? Anyone ever see a cleaning crew attack one of those stores?
 
Went to Tokyo, the most interesting and beautiful city I've ever been to, and saw Apple had done some pretty uninspiring effort with their grey-box-along-the-street philosophy.

IMG_7845.jpg

FullSizeRender%2023.jpg
 
Went to Tokyo, the most interesting and beautiful city I've ever been to, and saw Apple had done some pretty uninspiring effort with their grey-box-along-the-street philosophy.

IMG_7845.jpg

FullSizeRender%2023.jpg

Yup Pretty much the same design of the current ugly sf store. But I think that Netherlands store up top wins the prize for most ugly though.
 
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