Here’s my rundown in no particular order: Gautam’s I like you following the shape of the lot. I like the tie-in to N. Michigan Ave. with the turf covered roof. I almost missed the parapet wall on the roof to keep people from falling. Can you actually go up to the roof of N. Mich. Ave.? I would have liked to have seen what you had in mind for the triangular glass atrium. You didn’t show anything in that area. Penfold’s entry along with Gautam kind of reminded me of the Boylston Street store in Boston which because of its boxy shape kind of reminds me of a glassed-in parking structure. Well the overall shape of your designs prevent me from so easily thinking that about your designs. I liked Penfold’s ground floor area that is open to the outside.

The Hopkins’ design caught my eye in that it looks like it is glass all the way around. Apple really likes to use its wall space. Where is the storage and service areas? A basement perhaps. Next is Tony Ward. I must confess, I really, really liked this design. I liked the sweeping curved face of the structure.

Cuozzo’s wild exterior was really bold and kind of a throw-back to the first generation iMac days (the multi color days). But what really caught my eye was his (sorry if I misread the gender in your name) interior designs. Possibly a bit dark inside. If you have ever visited a Sony Style store a ways back and more recently you know they have added lighting in their stores. I like your interiors a lot.

Tom Miller, probably the most striking of the exteriors along with Chen shi jun. Tom I really like your use of angles and placement of the glass elements. I know some of the posts think you are using green tinted glass. My new construction experience is kind of limited to room additions, so I don’t look at a lot of elevation renderings. But I seem to recall that designers like to use green to represent thick glass elements.

Finally, Gary’s pick as winner Chen shi jun. I like the sweeping curve of your design. Now Gary knows my feelings on Apple’s unwillingness to fit in to existing historic design environments. Gee are SOHO, and Regent Street’s sales all that bad. Now Chen, you either have to go subterranean with the parking or let them park in the structure across the street. Now if this store was in the sunbelt that parking area could be some kind of patio Again, I say, can you go up to the roof of N. Mich, Ave.? I also like the sandwich of glass. If you change the parking to a patio you and move the fountain in there, I can live with it. I’m on the fence about the rotating sign. Living in California gives me an advantage in that I have visited 19 of the stores, 16 in the L.A. area and three the Las Vegas area. I’ve seen a good cross section of neighborhoods and the Apple stores they feed.

-Brian

I will say this: Lucky for us, Apple has BCJ and doesn’t have to rely on these clowns. (No, I don’t work for BCJ)