MILAN PUBLIC SPACE PIAZZA
31 May 2017
Tech giant Apple wants to connect citizens via technology and public space design. The latest design for the company’s Milan storefront will feature a public plaza, amphitheatre space and waterfall entrance.
Renderings have been revealed for the upcoming Apple store in Milan’s Piazza Liberty, designed by Foster + Partners in their latest collaboration with the technology giant. Following an extremely site-specific approach, the new flagship store will be located under the existing piazza, introducing a new public amphitheatre and waterfall feature that will double as the store’s entrance.
Unlike a traditional storefront, the Apple Store Piazza Liberty has been envisioned as a place for public gathering. The retail area has been intentionally hidden beneath the piazza, accessed by passing between two walls of water, intended as a tribute to the historic fountains of Italian public spaces and the close connection between Milan and its canals. A glass elevator will provide an additional, accessible entrance.
Inside, the store has been designed to house a range of events including technology seminars and children’s programs to encourage public use of the space.
A date for completion has not yet been announced.