OSan Franciso Apple Store - Grand Opening
February 28, 2004

After the overnight wait and the grand opening ceremonies, I got to tour the new building. It looked very similar to the other flagship stores in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles--the glass stairway and skylight are very distinctive features. I can tell you that climbing the stairway without holding on is not recommended unless you have a great sense of balance--the see-through treads disorient you one way, and since you're looking up curiously at the skylight, you're doubly likely to topple over.

I can also tell you that you'll never realize there are no windows on the second floor. The skylight and lighting design completely disguise the fact you can't see outside. On a sunny day, it's almost as bright as outdoors, and a cloudy day isn't much different.

Besides these two features, there are always interesting views from within the store: from the ground-floor to second floor, from second to ground floor, and from the second floor through the skylight.

11_looking

gift bag purchasers check to see if they
received an iPod mini

 12_reversestair

from the back of the store, looking through
the glass stairway

 14_stairlside

from the ground floor looking up
15_stairfront

the glass stairway, note the distinctive
color of the glass--like an iceberg

 16_midstairdown

mid-way on the stairway looking down

 18_secondsky

the front of the store showing the ground
and second floors
19_secondstairside

the railing on the second floor is the
perfect spot for watching

 20_theaterfront

the theater at the rear of the second floor

 21_theaterback

the theater is right off the sales floor
22_geniusbar

the Genius Bar, to the right side of the
second floor

 23_internetcafe

the Internet café on the left side of
the second floor

 24_12floors

another great view--from second floor to
the ground floor
25_lookingdown

looking downward on the stairway

 26_outskylight

the view towards the front of the store
through the skylight

 27_macgenius

this guy really is a Mac Genius
29_stairwatchers

the stairway, looking toward the back
of the store and the theater

 30_stairoverleft

still another great view, from the front of
the second floor, down and back

 31_stairoverhor

from the front of the second floor
32_skylight

looking to the back of the store on the
second floor

 34_cafehor

the Internet café, note the mortised
joints in the huge table

 35_doorfrom2

the entrance to the store
36_doorfrom2v

the entrance to the store

 37_software

the software section on the left side of
the second floor

 38_drivesother

the peripheral section on the second floor
39_kids_steve

the kids section, featuring the new-style
wooden talbe

 40_kids

the kids section, note the mortised joint
on the near corner

 42_stevepose

Steve Jobs