Image courtesy Foster + Partners
Designed by Foster + Partners, Apple’s latest store in Miami responds to the state’s light, culture, and climate.
Apple Aventura brings people together under an undulating vaulted roof that is reminiscent of the city’s nautical and architectural roots. The materiality and spaces are inspired by the region’s Art Deco buildings, with the new two-level store.
The glazed façade blurs the boundary between the interior and exterior, creating a green building with the grove of trees and display tables flowing into the double-height hall sheltered by the vaulted roof. Made from precast elements, its 24-m (80-ft) long concrete beams span 18 m (60 ft) between steel columns clad with a concrete casing. Between the beams, 6-m (20-ft) wide concrete arches span to form a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is covered by a white fabric on the underside for acoustic attenuation.
“We love the honesty and purity of the concrete. The language and materiality at Apple Aventura Mall are inspired by Miami’s white Art Deco traditions and climate, making it an expression of its place and culture,” said Stefan Behling, head of studio, Foster + Partners. “This is the first Apple store to feature white precast concrete as the predominant structural system and it is also a continuation of the materiality we explored at Apple Park.”
The store’s vaulted roof harvests rainwater, thus reducing potable water consumption. The coloring and materiality of the roof along with the extended eaves shading the principal façades protect the store from excessive sun.
Inside, a flight of steps form an amphitheater, looking onto the forum screen. Linking the internal entrance to the plaza below, the steps form the social heart of the store.
