Apple Marina Bay Sands opens on September 10 at 10 am. Apple has removed temporary decorations on the store’s glass dome, revealing the final appearance of Singapore’s new waterfront icon.
- Are you attending the grand opening of Apple Marina Bay Sands? We’d love to share your photos. In the interest of health and safety, opening day visits will be limited and available by appointment only. Book a time to visit.
Apple Marina Bay Sands is the third Apple Store in Singapore following locations at Orchard Road and Jewel Changi Airport. You can learn more about the project’s significance and Apple’s near 40-year history in Singapore with our illustrated guide.
114 pieces of curved glass wrap Apple’s only spherical store. The dome’s streamlined panels are curved horizontally, differing structurally and visually from geodesic designs more commonly found in dome architecture. Apple Marina Bay Sands is the first Apple Store to sit on water, glowing like a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival lantern. The firsts don’t stop there.
The store’s layout is split between three distinctive zones. The first is an open-air, inclined boardwalk rising from the shore and marked with a small Apple signpost. The boardwalk connects to the dome, where 10 tables and 10 trees are arranged in a unique radial pattern around the perimeter. The tables are lit by custom lamps found in only a handful of other Apple Store locations around the world. A Forum, Video Wall, and leather benches for future Today at Apple sessions stand opposite the entryway.
Look up from the Forum and you’ll see the roof of the dome, which has been designed to mitigate the impact of Singapore’s tropical climate. A series of concentric baffles extend from the glass and encircle the dome as it narrows toward the oculus, deflecting heat and harsh sunlight. The dome is fully self-supported by 10 narrow vertical mullions.
A curved staircase, cylindrical elevator, and for the first time ever in an Apple Store, a set of escalators descend underwater. The store’s third zone is a subaquatic tunnel and Boardroom connecting to the The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Customers are guided through the tunnel by a row of six tables and long Avenue displays lining both walls. The stone walls form sweeping curves at the entrance, opening to a panoramic view of the mall.
Apple Marina Bay Sands is Apple’s 512th store, but draws few comparisons to any design before it. Working with architects Foster + Partners, Apple has created a space truly unique for Singapore’s waterfront environment and instantly recognizable skyline. Like every Apple Store location, the new space will open with all of the health and safety measures customers have come to expect.
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