New Apple store opens up to — literally — the Dubai Fountain
US Tech giant to roll out hands-on sessions concept tomorrow
skill levels and ages.
For example, Ahrendts said that an iPhone user interested in photography can start with six ‘How To’ sessions that cover shooting, organising, editing, and more.
Sukhdev Singh, vice-president at market research and analysis services provider AMRB, said that it is a great move from Apple and the stores are not only meant for sales but also for developing brand interaction with consumers, holding workshops and servicing.
He said that opening of its third store in the UAE is justified by the demand for Apple products.
He added that what Apple is trying to do is build a “strong interaction” with consumers amid their [consumers] shift to e-commerce. The new Apple store integrates elements that will be new for customers in Dubai.
The store is on two levels with doors that can stand permanently open to allow air to flow directly into the building. Apple has previously designed stores with open facades, but the one in Dubai, where heat is a major factor in the summer, was a challenge for Apple’s designers.
“Very challenging, but I think the design team saw it as an incredible opportunity,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice-president of retail. “We wanted their to be certain similarities to Union Square [where the store opens up over a central square in San Francisco].” But Ahrendts said it also important to have local touches. “The trees are local. Of course, the team is local. But then what they [asked] was. ‘How do we do something that shades?’”
She said that was how Apple came up with the ideas for the “solar wings” that will shade the front of the store. The ‘wings’ are mobile, 37-feet tall, made of carbon fibre and meant to invoke the image of falcons. They can be adjusted to for environmental conditions. Ahrendts said the wings are also the largest moving art installation in the world.