New Flagship Apple Store in Toronto?

[ipedro]

With the announcement of Ryerson University's new Student Learning Centre, the University's President Sheldon Levy suggested that Apple may be one of the retailers vying for the commercial space along Yonge St.

The first floor will be a host to a retail store that overlooks Yonge Street.

“We hope the deal is with Apple,” said Levy.

He compared the setup of the lower downstairs retail location to New York City’s Apple store.

TheEyeOpener

Apple's Toronto flagship store is currently located at the Eaton Centre, but that space has had trouble servicing the demand as it is often full beyond acceptable capacity. The new location would be near Toronto's (and Canada's) busiest pedestrian intersection: Yonge & Dundas.

Retail exterior along Yonge St.:

Retail interior:

 

[*LTD*]

Ha! It looks so out of place beside all the other crap surrounding it.

Yonge & Dundas. Maximum exposure indeed. A nice, central location downtown. Hit the uni crowd plus everyone else. Smart.

 

[SevenInchScrew]

I can't say much about the inside from that one small image, but the exterior of that building is absolutely HORRIBLE looking. Way too busy and convoluted. Not good, in my opinion.

 

[Joshuarocks]

Ugly building!! TEAR HER DOWN!

 

[roadbloc]

It looks massively out of place. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

That building is not going on my campus.

OP, how did you find this?

 

[Heilage]

There sure is a lot of... stuff.

 

[ipedro]

That building is not going on my campus.

OP, how did you find this?

It's in your own campus paper and the building itself has been in discussion for the last 3 years. The lot has been cleared for months. The question is how can you not have heard about it?

The information about Apple being in discussions to become the Yonge st. retail tenant was only leaked at the time of my original post.

As for the architectural merits of the building, you can't argue tastes. I personally love it.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

It's in your own campus paper and the building itself has been in discussion for the last 3 years. The lot has been cleared for months. The question is how can you not have heard about it?

The information about Apple being in discussions to become the Yonge st. retail tenant was only leaked at the time of my original post.

As for the architectural merits of the building, you can't argue tastes. I personally love it.

The eyeopener is a joke paper at best. Sure they do occasionally run stories like this, but their covers always keep me away. It angers me how they say they're not sensationalist when really that's what they almost exclusively are.

I am aware of the destruction of Sam's and until today believed that this location would be used (albeit far in the future) exclusively for a student learning centre. It seems I was wrong.

Personally, the design is not to my taste.

 

[Abstract]

Toronto has some crazy buildings. I love it, although not all of it is to my taste!

I don't care at all whether the Apple Store is moving from Eaton Centre and into this building, but I like the design of the actual building, and can't wait to see it when it's built!

 

[ipedro]

The eyeopener is a joke paper at best. Sure they do occasionally run stories like this, but their covers always keep me away. It angers me how they say they're not sensationalist when really that's what they almost exclusively are.

I am aware of the destruction of Sam's and until today believed that this location would be used (albeit far in the future) exclusively for a student learning centre. It seems I was wrong.

Personally, the design is not to my taste.

FYI, it was also published in every major local paper and stories ran on CTV, Global, CityTV and CP24.

It was always expected that there would be Yonge St. retail for the Student Learning Centre. This building combines the best of both worlds. The student Learning Centre with a courtyard entrance to Ryerson's campus without breaking the retail flow of Yonge St.

I too was saddened by the loss of Sam's but their business model was bound for failure. The building itself wasn't historically significant, though the signage was. Ryerson has saved the spinning neon records and has promised to give them prominence somewhere facing Yonge. Whether they'll be put on the new building or donated to another façade in the Yonge + Dundas area, is not yet known. I think that a good home for them would be at Yonge Dundas Sq. either at the Hard Rock Café or on the AMC building facing the square.

Regarding the design of the Student Learning Centre, tastes can't be argued. What can however be qualified are the quality and prestige of the firms involved. This building is designed by Snohetta, a firm with an excellent track record and a stunning collection of buildings. The local partner is Zeidler, another prestigious architecture house with an enviable portfolio in Toronto.

Keeping within the Apple topic -- as this is an Apple industry forum -- it's known that Apple has been seeking a street level flagship store in Toronto. Locations have included 1 Bloor East (Yonge & Bloor), another store further West on Bloor, and most recently talks about a Queen St. West store. The Eaton Centre location would be retained in any event to guarantee presence in the mall, even if as a satellite location.

 

[ipedro]

Yorkdale expanding, Eaton Centre too?

The Yorkdale Apple store will be moving into the new mall extension nearly tripling the size of the store.

The Eaton Centre location which is their flagship store (too small to fit that role I think), appears to be heading to the McDonalds location facing Queen St.

 

[boss.king]

if they didn't plaster every glass surface with ridiculous designs it would actually look alright

 

[ipedro]

The Apple Genius was right: McDonald's is now closed. Could we be seeing a massive new flagship Apple store pop up on the corner of Yonge & Queen St. W soon?

The store at Yorkdale is tripling its size into the new expansion so the same is possible at Eaton Centre.

 

[ipedro]

There's been intense speculation that Apple is building a new flagship Apple Store at the north mall renovation at Eaton Centre. Three major retailers are occupying the prime Yonge-Dundas Square real estate. Two have been confirmed: Nordstrom and Uniqlo. The third is a 2 story space with Yonge-Dundas access.

Could this be the new flagship Apple Store?

Photo: kotsy at urbantoronto.com

That corner very much looks like it could be made into an architecturally interesting store front. A double height 2 story (50 ft high) glass and steel facade with a glowing Apple logo as part of the the YDS panorama. I can totally see it.

From the inside, it would have atrium access with a second floor above, only accessible from within the store. I know I'll be paying a lot of attention to what's going on behind that scaffolding.

 

[ipedro]

Here's what it might look like: