Apple Seeking to Build New Retail Stores in France and Switzerland

[Akshay Masand]

According to the French magazine Aix en Dialogue, Apple is preparing to build an interesting new store in Aix-en-Provence, France. Although the store appears to be small when compared to Apple’s usual standards, the elegant design sees the store set back on a plaza and constructed almost entirely of transparent glass with the exception of the rear wall hiding the back-house operations area.

The store is set to be constructed at the site of the tourism office on the south side of Place du General de Gaulle. A rendering posted by the magazine shows a one level structure, set back on a broad stone plaza, with a tan-colored rear wall with the rest of the walls made of glass. The design is roughly that of the Apple store based on the Upper Wise Side in New York City. Reports indicate that the new store is said to have a low-profile fountain on the plaza with an expected opening in late 2012 or early 2013.

The folks over at Macprime.ch are also reporting that they have obtained access to Apple’s plans for its retail store in Basel, Switzerland. The company recently revised its plans for the store to meet the requirements planning officials might have. With the tenants having vacated the location just late last year, Apple is nearly ready to begin construction of the new store, which would end up being it’s fourth in Switzerland. The store would have a two-level sales floor of the forthcoming store with a similar amount of space dedicated to back of the house operations such as storage and conference rooms, along with building systems.



The schematics of the store show a staircase in the rear of the store for moving between two and sales floors, along with the ground floor hosting twelve display tables and the next level hosting several more display tables along with a pair of 12 seat Genius Bars. Given the amount of work that is left to be put in, it is unlikely that the location will open before 2013.

Source: ifoAppleStore, Macprime.ch

[mmaboi21]

They need to build one in bakersfield CA!!

[*T*]

I live in the U.S. If you really wanted this article to affect someone, you should have written it in French

[mmaboi21]

Why don't you do a 'French port' of the article.