newcube560
Artist Rendition

We've heard a couple of reports that Apple will finally unveiling their newly renovated 5th Avenue Apple NYC store on Friday, November 4th.

Apple began work on the $6.6 million renovation back in June. Since then, the 5th Avenue Store has been surrounded by barriers and the store has remained open as the construction has continued. The redesign involves replacing the cube's 90 glass panels with only 15 larger ones. The new design is rendered artistically above.

fifth avenue cube changes

Steve Jobs, himself, had much input into this Apple Retail Store's design. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Jobs had a very hands-on role. The developer said:

“[Steve Jobs] is solely responsible for the cube,” Mr. Macklowe said. “I had different shapes and different ideas, and his cube was somewhat different than what it is now, but it’s Steve Jobs’s idea.”

Jobs has had a long fascination with the cube shape. During his time at NeXT he created the NeXTcube workstation housed in a magnesium enclosure. Apple even created a Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000, a few years after Jobs' return to Apple.

A November 4th unveiling falls in line with the original permits which estimated "early November" as a possible completion date. If the grand unveiling is indeed taking place this Friday, we expect Apple will make an announcement this week to inform the press.

Top Rated Comments

nerdo Avatar
182 months ago
The most transparent thing Apple has done in years.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hobo.hopkins Avatar
182 months ago
That was completely worth the $6.6B it costed to get it renovated. I'm serious, it looks sick. I thought it was cool before, but damn. Can you imagine? Replacing 90 glass panels with only 15?

Can't wait to check it out in person.
It was an expensive renovation, but not that expensive :P It cost 6.6 Million dollars; it didn't cost 6.6 Billion dollars.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdowns Avatar
182 months ago
Below the photo it states "Artist Rendition" :p

I wonder if Arn hired the same guy who did the 'iPhone 5' rendering. :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cougarcat Avatar
182 months ago
What "technical challenges"?

they should have used 5 panels, one for each side tbh.

In the bio, Steve mentions that they had to build their own autoclaves in china to make the glass. If they had used the technology available, the cube would have been a foot shorter.

Making 5 huge panes isn't possible with current technology.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marcusj0015 Avatar
182 months ago
What "technical challenges"?

they should have used 5 panels, one for each side tbh.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
182 months ago
Based on the artist rendition, I think I liked it better before. :( It looked amazing in person, the glass seams between the panels shimmered and refracted light, bending it into these amazing patterns- removing panels is going to reduce that effect.
One man's "shimmer" is another man's "gaudy." I have a feeling that at certain parts of the day the reflections got a little too prismatic and diffuse, and ruined the effect they wanted (which is basically, feeling like you're not indoors at all).

Personally, I would have suggested looking into colored/tinted glass -- perhaps a blue tint? Something like that would have looked more striking, and been amazing to light up at night too.
I disagree, because then you'd be stuck with "what color is YOUR Apple Store?" It would be way too early iMac, and would distract from the products.

This is mentioned in his book. This renovation was completely a pet project by Jobs. Apparently, Ron Johnson disagreed with the new design (and likely the additional unnecessary costs), but Jobs went ahead with it anyway.

I personally like the old cube better. Only Apple would redesign what's become a landmark.
That's totally Apple's M.O. Even though something is gorgeous and makes a splash (Cube store, iPhone, iMac), you redesign it to make it look even slicker (Cube redesign, iPhone4, iMac). Steve Jobs has for many years done things that certain advisors didn't want. Never underestimate the power of saying no. otherwise, Apple's products would have a much cheaper feel to them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...