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Foster + Partners tops Apple Aventura with wavy white precast roof

Made in Miami

Foster + Partners tops Apple Aventura with wavy white precast roof

The new Apple Aventura store north of Miami boasts a striking roof design. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners)

Foster + Partners has broken out of its traditional glass-box bubble and designed a different kind of Apple Store—one that’s arguably distinct because it wasn’t built in a major city center, or within another development (and doesn’t resemble a Macbook). Apple Aventura in Aventura, north of Miami is a piece of actual mall architecture that ripples above and beyond its predecessors in terms of design. 

Located in a new wing of the posh Aventura Mall, the two-story building isn’t a huge departure from the firm’s other work for Apple. It is, in fact, boxy and of course includes trees inside. But the undulating white concrete roof evokes a certain feeling of fluidity in the bayside shopping center that doesn’t exist elsewhere. 

“We love the honesty and purity of the concrete,” said Stefan Behling, head of studio at Foster + Partners in a press release. 

Close up night shot of white concrete arches on roof
Twenty-foot-wide concrete arches form the store’s barrel-vaulted ceiling. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners)

Behling and the design team worked closely with Jonathan Ive, the former chief design officer of Apple. They said the building’s exterior design mimics Miami’s white art deco-style architecture, as well as its nautical design scene.

“This store is very ‘Miami’ to me,” said Ive. “Its special trees, the light, and the new roof. It is also quintessentially Apple, marrying the outdoor lifestyle with a sense of freedom and creativity that is intrinsic to the way we work.” 

Interior shot of Apple store with tree, wooden display tables, terraced seating
White acoustical fabric covers the ceiling to keep noise at a minimum. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners)

According to Foster + Partners, the wavy roof design was made from seven precast concrete arches that together form a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The entire structure is held up by steel columns each covered with another thin architectural precast column that’s also painted white. Per other Apple stores, this one boasts floor-to-ceiling glass windows, revealing all the activity within the stop. 

The result is a light-filled Apple store that actually breaks a big design boundary for the tech giant: Of all its retail spaces, the building is the only one to use precast concrete as a predominant structural material. The idea was first introduced within Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, also known as Apple Park, in 2017.

Interior shot from top of amphitheater-style seating with people filling up the entire store
The large retail space can host Apple Music events and more. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners)

Inside Apple Ventura, the ground-floor is decked out with rows of elongated wooden tables that serve as Apple’s signature product displays. A large terraced seating area anchors one end of the store, allowing guests to relax while waiting for their Genius Bar appointments or to secure space for an in-store event. The flight of interior steps is outfitted with leather seating and charging stations. 

Twilight shot of courtyard with trees and wooden tables outside light-filled boxy building
The “Genius Grove” allows customers to enjoy the Miami weather while waiting for their appointments. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners)

Outside the store, a densely planted garden features teak tables and chairs that seamlessly reference the interior architecture. Customers can also hang out in the shade of the outdoor “Genius Grove” while they wait for assistance. 

The Apple Aventura store is situated just steps away from the spiraling Aventura Slide Tower by Carsten Höller, a 93-foot-tall piece of public art that’s among the most famed parts of the 2.8-million-square-foot shopping campus. The entire site is the second-largest mall in America.

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