Apple Computer will open a retail store inside the building at 229-247 Regent Street in the Soho section of London in November 2004. Project developer Stanhope PLC says renovation of the building is five weeks ahead of schedule as of April 2004. Here is an artists rendering of the building-- Apple will occupy the center section under the arches, as well as the first floor above the arches. There will be retail tenants on either end, as well as on the two sidestreets. The upper floors will offer 100,000 square-feet of office and commercial space, and 10 residential apartments.

The building is owned by The Crown Estate (the Queen), and was built in 1898, with wings added in 1922-23 during an area redevelopment. The original building had a series of very small shops and offices that were described as "cramped." The current renovation includes gutting the interior and reconfiguring it for three major tenants on the ground floor of the Regent Street side, one tenant each at 6-7 Hanover St. and 20-21 Princes St., and office and residential space on the upper floors. The upper floors under the dome are built around an atrium, although it's not clear how that will affect the Apple retail store space.

Regent Street itself was designed by John Nash, and completed around 1825 as a link between Regents Park and Carlton House. Several of the long-term leases recently expired, giving The Crown Estate the opportunity to completely rennovate this building, along with several others along the Regent Street shopping corridor, including those around Picadilly Circus.

Here's a partial photo of the center section of the original building: