New in OS X: Get MacRumors Push Notifications on your Mac

Resubscribe Now Close

Apple to Upgrade Fifth Avenue Store Plaza, Temporarily Remove Iconic Glass Cube

Thursday June 16, 2011 7:29 am PDT by Eric Slivka
ifoAppleStore reports that Apple has begun work on a $6.6 million project to revamp the plaza at its flagship Fifth Avenue retail store in Manhattan, home of the iconic glass cube entrance leading to the underground retail space. As part of the project, Apple will be temporarily removing the glass cube to install new pavers on the plaza.


Workers reportedly appeared on site last night and began fencing off areas around the store to begin work on the project.
Building permits issued on June 13th state the work will also include removing protective bollards, installing new pavers around the cube's perimeter, and removing and reinstalling surrounding water drains. According to the permits, the work could be finished by early November.
It is unclear whether Apple will be replacing the glass panels of the cube or making other changes to the structure, or simply temporarily removing the cube to facilitate other drainage and paver work on the plaza.

Apple's Fifth Avenue store opened in mid-2006 as the gleaming flagship of the chain, operating 24 hours a day. Despite the company having opened a number of significantly larger flagship stores around the world in the following years, the Fifth Avenue store has maintained its position as one of the busiest and most-visited stores in the company's retail chain.

Update: ifoAppleStore has added a couple of photos of the gray plywood barriers around the plaza.




Tag: ifoapplestore.com
[ 62 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
room237
108 months ago

so let me straight...I'm about to go to new york for the first time in my life, and the apple cube isn't even gonna be there? Wow, that's awesome


It's an Apple store. It's not the Louvre.

Check out the Met, it's on 5th ave. It's also quite nice.
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
coder12
108 months ago
Replace it all with rounded glass? :)

edit: ninja'd!

Steve wants to try out some of that new curved glass they are to use on the new campus.

Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
Mac'nCheese
108 months ago

so let me straight...I'm about to go to new york for the first time in my life, and the apple cube isn't even gonna be there? Wow, that's awesome

Still a lot of non-apple related place to visit.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Themaeds
108 months ago

so let me straight...I'm about to go to new york for the first time in my life, and the apple cube isn't even gonna be there? Wow, that's awesome


Luckily the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building are still there. Whewwww Crisis averted
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Koodauw
108 months ago
Steve wants to try out some of that new curved glass they are to use on the new campus.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
macse30
108 months ago
Remove all that to replace some pavers? Right, and I got your iPhone6 for you right here.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Chundles
108 months ago

It's an Apple store. It's not the Louvre.



This one is both an Apple Store AND The Louvre...
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
cvaldes
108 months ago
I think they're upgrading to a Retina Cube.

This is truly news worthy. I wonder if they are painting any stores?

They probably vacuumed last night.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Themaeds
108 months ago

I got those on my list too. I have crown access to the statue.


Don't slip in the slime.....You will wake up feeling like a million bucks.
Rating: 1 Votes
Avatar
Gasu E.
108 months ago

It's not the Louvre.


That's the pyramid-shaped Apple Store, isn't it?

I heard that they are going to replace the Statue of Liberty with a statue of Steve.


and rename it "Statue of InsanelyGreatness."
Rating: 1 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]