Apple’s architects are busy at their computers cranking out future high-profile store designs, sources say, but are being challenged by local architectural boards to come up with storefronts that compliment their historic surroundings. Their latest design proposal is for a 2-story retail store at 615 King Street in Alexandria (Virg.), and it’s already been approved by the city’s architectural board. The store would be the sixth store in the metro-DC area, and just four miles from the existing Fashion Center store in Arlington (Virg.).
New York City officials turned down an all-glass design for a store in the city’s Flatiron district, Portland’s (Ore.) architectural review board panned Apple’s design for a N.W. 23rd Avenue store, and a Boston neighborhood architectural committee has criticized the design for a proposed Boylston Street store in that city.
The proposed Alexandria store is just blocks from city hall, along a one-mile stretch of King St. that starts at the Potomac River and stretches along 19 intersections. It features buildings built over three centuries, mostly red-brick and wood façades, set along red-brick sidewalks, with lots of awnings, flower pots and sidewalk restaurant seating. The city has well-developed zoning and architectural design requirements for King St., intended to preserve its original Colonial look and emphasize ground-floor retail over offices.
A 99-page retail strategy (pdf) published by the city in June 2005 encourages architectural diversity for King Street. In it, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) recommends that individual storefronts should, “follow the small-scale property pattern of King Street to add to the interest and richness of the pedestrian experience. Storefronts are encouraged to introduce architectural variation at the pedestrian level in order to create a diverse building edge between the public and private realms.”
The BAR also encourages, “changes in storefront and façade treatment (e.g., the use of porticos, setbacks, architectural elements, landscape treatments, etc.) within the guidelines.” Particular attention should be given to the craftsmanship and detailing within the pedestrian’s range of touch and view, the BAR wrote. “The use of high quality materials (e.g., stone, brass, bronze, terra cotta, ceramic, wood) for storefront ornamentation is strongly encouraged, particularly around windows and entries and at the base of building walls.”
Perhaps most to-the-point, the design document said it is encouraging, “unique, well-detailed storefronts and discouraging standard, off-the-shelf, aluminum storefront components that tend to result in repetitive storefront designs.”
Apple’s proposed design features lots of glass windows and two Apple-logo signs, according to the application it submitted to the BAR, which has already approved (pdf) Apple’s proposal. “The new storefront and signs comply with the zoning ordinance. Staff has no objection to the redesign (sic) storefront,” the BAR said in its decision. The building was previously home to a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant.
According to the BAR approval, “The existing metal and glass storefront system will be removed on both floors and replaced with new butt glazed windows on both floors.” The second-floor windows will be frosted, and the ground-floor will be clear. The building façade will be moved outward to the sidewalk line, the document states. Apple also proposed two banner-type signs, one on each side of the recessed center entry. “The proposed signs are painted black metal with a cut out of the Apple Computer logo,” the BAR document notes, with each sign measuring 5′7″ in height x 3′2″ in width, and attached to metal brackets on both the upper and lower ends.
The proposal sounds very similar to the Pasadena (S. Calif.) store, which also was installed in an historic, two-story building.
Quizzically, the city’s Department of Planning and Zoning records show that Apple withdrew it’s proposal for the store right after it was approved, perhaps as a way of keeping the design confidential while it continues to make construction and lease plans for the building.
