Design

11 Breathtaking Apple Stores Around the World

These aren't just retail spaces—they're destinations

August 1, 2018

Apple store entrance with cascading water feature, surrounded by people sitting and taking photos in a modern urban setting. — Apple’s latest store in Milan. Photo: Courtesy of Apple

Across the globe, a trip to the Apple Store is as much about the experience as it is about the shopping, if not more so. Take one step inside, and you’re bound to be enchanted by swirling glass staircases and sleek decor, an aesthetic honed thanks to the tech giant’s collaboration with Pritzker Prize–winning architect Sir Norman Foster, of Foster + Partners, who designed most of the stores on our list.

But they’re not all modern: Some of these spaces occupy centuries-old landmarks and feature historic columns, balustrades, and—in one instance—a 275-foot-long celestial mural. Regardless of setting, each location seamlessly captures the essence of the city around it. Read on for 11 breathtaking examples.

Underground entrance to an Apple Store with a glass waterfall feature, surrounded by people sitting on steps. — Apple’s latest store in Milan. Courtesy of Apple

1. Piazza Liberty, Milan

A modern spin on the traditional piazzas that dot the fashion capital, Apple’s newest store is also the brand’s first flagship in Italy. Encased in glass, a 26-foot waterfall provides a striking entrance to the shop, which is lined both inside and out with Beola Grigia stone, a popular granite quarried in Lombardy.

Exterior of a modern flagship store with an illuminated facade, large glass entrance, and surrounding bamboo plants at dusk. — Apple Store, Macau, Cotai Central. Courtesy of Apple

2. Cotai Central, Macau

Light from inside Apple’s newly opened Macau shop permeates the glass-stone composite façade—the first exterior of its kind—emulating the gentle glow of a paper lantern.

Elegant building facade with tall columns and arched windows illuminated at night, featuring classic architectural details. — Apple Store, Berlin. Courtesy of Apple

3. Kurfürstendamm, Berlin

The first Apple store to open in Berlin is located within a magnificently renovated historic building. Braced with an Ionic colonnade and arched windows, the Roman-style architecture maintains classical austerity.

Grand Central Terminal interior with people walking, large windows, and elegant staircases in a historic architectural setting. — Apple Store, Grand Central Terminal, New York. Courtesy of Apple

4. Grand Central Terminal, New York

Though the New York City’s “Big Apple” moniker predates the name of the tech giant by a long shot, there’s something charming in the fact that the unmistakable logo is among the initial sights to greet first-timers to the city. The station is famed for the 275-foot-long celestial mural that graces its vaulted ceiling.

Apple Store, Beijing. Courtesy of Apple

5. Sanlitun, Beijing

Set in the Village at Sanlitun, Apple’s Beijing flagship is a unique construction, to say the least. The mist-colored façade bridges a new glass structure with one of old brick, the unforgettable Apple logo overlooking a plaza.

Apple Store, Istanbul. Courtesy of Apple

6. Zorlu Center, Istanbul

Set into the ground, this innovative space (known as the “Glass Lantern”) harnesses natural light and is framed by a placid pool of water.

Illuminated arched building entrance with cobblestone path at night. — Apple Store, Covent Garden, London. Courtesy of Apple

7. Covent Garden, London

Recessed behind a stately arcade, Apple’s Covent Garden location fits seamlessly into London’s posh shopping and entertainment district.

Apple Store, Carousel de Louvre, Paris. Courtesy of Apple

8. Carousel du Louvre, Paris

Apple’s signature interior—minimalist and pure—exists in striking contrast to the celebrated art museum’s centuries-old architecture.

Exterior view of an elegant building with arched windows and decorative wrought iron, lit by street lamps at dusk. — Apple Store, 12 rue Halévy, Paris. Courtesy of Apple

9. 12 rue Halévy, Paris

The cobblestone-lined streets of Paris provide an exquisite backdrop for this store, its interior boasting wrought-iron balustrades and even a glass atrium that showers the space in natural light.