MixC Apple Store
MIXC APPLE STORE
Hangzhou, China
new built
Completion
March 2015
Area
2200 sqm
Costs
38 Mio. Euro
Architects
Foster + Partners
Team
Gabriele Goccia, Han Ling, Christin Gegenheimer
Client
Apple
Structural Glazing Consultant
Eckersley O'Callaghan
Fotos
Foster + Partners
MixC is one of the first Apple stores from Foster + Partners for China. The store - located in front of a big tower of a new-built mall in Hangzhou – is a 15-metre-high glazed box boasting a glowing ceiling, a cantilevered floor and glass staircases.
The design combines an understanding of the local context with the philosophy of simplicity, beauty and technical innovation that characterises Apple‘s products.
The store is divided into front of house area, which hosts on ground floor a table display area and display walls, on the upper floor a genius bar, kids tables and help desks. In the back of house you can find storage area, a break area for the stuff, offices and customer toilets.
The building features an entirely transparent facade made up of 12 equally sized, double-glazed panels. The panels consist of 7 layers of glass and sit in a customized steel shoe in the ground.
Mechanically controlled blinds offer shading when necessary, but can be concealed within the ceiling.
The side walls of this building are covered by stainless steel panels to inside and outside.
Front and side doors are pivot glass doors with a canopy above for protection. The huge front door is 3.8m high and 1.3m wide, two layers of glass and will be operated automatically. Door handles and patch fittings are stainless steel.
The use of mass dampers – harmonic absorbers that reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibrations – made it possible to make the first floor slab uncommonly thin. It tapers from 1.2 metres to just 10 centimetres. The slab sits back from the front facade with a glass balustrade on top.
Two flights of stairs positioned on opposite sides of the store along the stainless steel walls have floating glass treads and glass landings that are held in place by embedded bolts.
The illuminated white ceilings are made up of 12m long, custom-made lighting panels that also dampen sound.
The terrazzo floor throughout both levels runs below the stainless steel wall panels and against the glass façade shoe.
Shelves, tables and chairs are the standard apple furniture.