The Santa Monica Dispatch's Peggy Clifford attended yesterday's Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting and reports that Apple's new Third Street Promenade building was quickly approved, without even discussion.
The surprise was that the staff put the project on the Consent Calendar. I cannot remember any large, complex commercial project ever going on the Consent Calendar. Apple was the only item on last night’s Calendar. And, under the rules, the Consent Calendar is approved as a whole – unless someone wishes to pull at item for discussion.
And in that crucial blink, the commissioners approved the Consent Calendar (aka Apple Glass House), and that was that – except for a staff report on the redesign of the Project Case List, after which they adjourned.
The proposal first came to light yesterday, and detailed a new 8,084 glass-roofed Apple Store to be built on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. The store will be built in the space of an old Borders Bookstore.
Top Rated Comments
Non issue, rain would never touch an Apple store. It goes around.
It would probably be more surprising if they didn't gush over him given what Steve Jobs and Apple has done for Cupertino.
Plus, look, the buildings Apple designs look amazing, and they will bring in lots of money to the local community. Why wouldn't you kiss Apple's ass?
lol
There are many things you can do to glass to help counter heat and an over abundance of sunlight, these things could easily be done to the roof without people noticing. Do you really think the Apple designers have no taken this into consideration and just plan on throwing plain old regular glass on the ceiling?
What would you have liked them to do exactly? The see a great looking structure being built by a reputable company who does a great job on their stores. A company who's stores bring in a lot of customers and revenue. This is an existing space being changed around for a new business. What should there concerns have been exactly where they needed to debate this?
Look at the picture. The other roofs are flat and must have hidden drains. The water doesn't overflow down their sides.
So I think he's talking about how the Apple store's curved roof doesn't even appear to have gutters. Of course, that's almost certainly artistic license in that drawing. I highly suspect it does have hidden drains along the edges.
PS. Good thing it's not white painted glass. It'd be delayed for years while they work out the light leak and reflection issues :)