Through a series of unusual circumstances, the public has been given a peek inside the future Covent Garden (London) Apple store, showing what the historic building looks like before an extensive renovation begins soon to create Apple’s third location in London. The Designersblock program uses “transitional architectural spaces” each year to display the work of international designers. This year’s exhibition is spread throughout #1 The Piazza in the middle of the Covent Garden district, including inside a remarkable glass-covered courtyard. Apple submitted permit applications in early August to renovate the building into retail space, maintaining much of the building’s historic qualities. The building could open by late 2009. See the photos after the break.
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- The left side of the future storefront
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- The entrance to the Designersblock show
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- The ground floor of #1 The Piazza, showing the temporary interior staircase
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- The impressive interior courtyard of the building that Apple will retain
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- This interior, glass-covered courtyard will be retained in Apple’s renovated store.
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- The basement of the building, showing the structural columns and red brick walls
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- The basement, showing the concrete floor and curved ceiling
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- The basement, with various nooks and crannies
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- The existing elevator that was added in some earlier time
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- The ground-floor temporary staircase
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- The existing temporary staircase, view from the second level
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- The second level, showing existing columns, ceiling structure and wood floors
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- Another section of the second level
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- View of the existing elevator set in the interior of the building
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- Second level, at the top of the temporary staircase
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- An amazing archway between sections of the building on the second level
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- Second level, showing the steel/iron structure and the half-dome windows (left)
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- Second level with half-dome windows towards the front of the building
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This store is going to be a stunner, you can just tell. What an amazing classic building. Lucky shoppers who’re in there!
Hi, thanks very much for posting this. We had a great and very happy show this year so thanks for keeping it going. We’ve never been described as ‘a series of unusual circumstances before’ but it does seem strangely apt.
Thanks again.
Until the next time
Best
Rory
Does anybody know what this building used to be before Apple got their hands on it (I don’t mean that in a negative way; an Apple store would make it even better!)?
I worked on this project in 2003. We were doing a structural refurb on it. Previously it was used as the workshop where the Spitting Image puppets were made. There used to be dividing walls where the big twin steels rise from the basement to the second floor. We put temporary supports in, then the steel including those columns in the basement that are the largest standard sections available. The building was then jacked up on resin jacks which are still in the on top of the steels on the second floor and we took the walls out. The basement was also lowered by 700mm so you can imagine how tight it was previously! The lift went in at this time as well into what used to be an open lightwell. The arches at the front under the pavement lights used to be supported on walls, but we added steels within the floor void to make them hang in the air. Interestingly, the “amazing archway” is not original, but was built at this time to resembel the adjacent arch.
Hope this is helpful.
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