Apple’s latest retail site is a stunning restoration of a former theater that first opened in downtown Los Angeles in the late 1920s.
In typical fashion, the tech giant has utterly transformed the historic Tower Theatre, which had been unoccupied for the last 33 years.
The store opened on the corner of Eighth Street and Broadway on Thursday, June 24, with Apple CEO Tim Cook taking the 300-mile trip south from Apple HQ to welcome staff and shoppers into the newly renovated space. Cook tweeted from the premises and included several photos of his visit.
Today we opened the doors to our new store in downtown LA — Apple Tower Theatre. It’s a testament to a city rich in culture and diversity. We’re so excited to be a part of DTLA! pic.twitter.com/l4UQmZQ5x4
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 24, 2021
The iPhone maker described the newly named Apple Tower Theatre as “one of its most significant restoration projects to date” after collaborating with leading preservationists and restoration artists to modernize the building while retaining its original features.
The theater was designed by renowned motion-picture theater architect S. Charles Lee, and was the first in Los Angeles to be wired for film with sound nearly 100 years ago. “That legacy of technological innovation continues today as the perfect venue to discover Apple’s full line of iPhone, iPad, and Mac, each of which has transformed modern-day filmmaking, photography, and music composition,” Apple said in a release.
The store is Apple’s 26th retail site in the greater Los Angeles area and joins more than 500 others operating globally.
Apple is well known to carefully select its retail locations before its team of designers sets about transforming them to match the company’s branding, with the result nearly always impressive. And it’s not always historic buildings that the company targets — check out the striking modern design of this Apple Store that opened in Singapore’s Marina Bay last year.
Like so many others around the world, Apple’s retail operation was heavily disrupted last year by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The situation prompted the company to close its stores for months in a bid to protect staff and help slow the spread of the virus. Since opening its stores again, Apple has implemented a slew of safety measures that include mask-wearing, regular sanitization of surfaces, and asking customers to book their store visits online.
