If Apple’s futuristic headquarters in California, is the mothership, then this sci-fi-inspired glowing “pod” must surely be one of its spacecraft.
Actually, it’s the tech company’s latest retail store, which is set to open in Singapore any day now.
Keen to generate some hype around its imminent opening, Apple is describing the new location in the city-state’s Marina Bay Sands resort as “the first Apple store in the world that sits on the water,” adding that the structure’s offbeat design “informs an entirely new store layout.”
Until it opens, we won’t know what that new layout looks like, but we do know that customers will be able to access the site via a boardwalk and an underwater tunnel that links to a shopping mall.
And yes, it really does glow at night …
The rumours are indeed true! Apple Marina Bay Sands, the first Apple store in the world that floats on the water, is opening soon in Singapore.#AppleMarinaBaySands #Singapore #SingapoRediscovers #cityscape #architecture @Apple @marinabaysands @AP_Magazine @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/Awbgzo2qtO
— Javan Ng (@javanng) August 24, 2020
This is Singapore’s third Apple Store, with the first one opening on Orchard Road in 2017, followed by a second at Jewel Changi Airport last year.
During a visit to Singapore in December 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly commented on the busyness of the current locations, adding that the city-state “could use a third store.”
The opening comes at a challenging time for the retail sector as lockdowns and other measures linked to the coronavirus pandemic prompt more people to shop online.
Apple closed all of its stores outside of China in March 2020 and since then has been opening and closing sites according to local conditions regarding the severity of the pandemic. Singapore’s Apple Stores reopened on June 24 with shorter-than-usual operating hours.
In a bid to reduce the risk of staff and customers getting infected, Apple Stores are now requiring everyone entering the premises to submit to a touchless temperature check and wear a mask. Additional measures such as limited store occupancy, social distancing, and regular sanitization of surfaces are also in place.
Digital Trends has reached out to Apple for information on when its new Singapore store is set to open and we will update this piece when we hear back.
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