Apple's Revised Plans for New Flagship San Francisco Store Will Keep Fountain, Tweak Facades

Back in May, officials in San Francisco proudly touted a plan by Apple to move its existing Stockton Street flagship store three blocks north, giving the store a larger footprint and a prime location in the Union Square shopping district.

apple_store_sf_union_square_large

Apple's original design for new San Francisco flagship store

Apple's plans quickly ran into resistance, however, with critics panning Apple's proposal to remove a sculptural fountain along Stockton Street and the design's 80-foot-long windowless wall along a key pedestrian and transit corridor on Stockton. As the project proceeded through the city's planning process, officials made clear that significant changes would be needed for the project if it was to receive approval.

As noted by the San Francisco Chronicle, Apple has now filed revised plans for the store, addressing the major criticisms of the project. Among the most prominent changes is a move to retain the fountain by noted sculpture artist Ruth Asawa, who died earlier this month. The fountain will be moved slightly, but will remain close to its current location.

asawa_san_francisco_fountain

Ruth Asawa's "San Francisco Fountain" that Apple has now proposed keeping on the site

Another change for the project involves the addition of an eight-foot wide window along the Stockton Street frontage, extending from the sidewalk to the roof to break up the massing and provide visual interest for those passing by. The window will also continue across the roof of the store to create a skylight.

"We've been working with the city of San Francisco as they review our ideas for an Apple Store on Union Square," Apple spokeswoman Amy Bessette said Monday. "Our latest design includes a store with more natural light and a plaza on Stockton Street that includes the fountain by Ruth Asawa, just a few feet away from its current location."

A third change addresses planners' concerns about a monotonous glass wall along the main Post Street frontage, with Apple now proposing to pull the glass wall back by four feet from the metal frame of the building, offering a greater sense of depth and more shadows for visual interest.

City officials quoted in the story seem pleased by Apple's proposed changes, although the project must still pass through full review before it can be approved. Apple has not announced when it plans to open the new store, and any internal targets may yet be affected San Francisco's frequently unpredictable review and permitting processes.

Update: Renderings of the revised plan showing the fountain, vertical window along Stockton Street side, and recessed glass on Post Street frontage.

apple_store_sf_union_square_revised_front

apple_store_sf_union_square_revised_back

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...

Top Rated Comments

kkat69 Avatar
155 months ago
I'm all for art, but I've seen that thing in person, and Apple would do everyone a favor by bulldozing it.

I don't think it's all that but hey that's art, it's all opinionated.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paul4339 Avatar
155 months ago
Just my personal opinion, but I was hoping they would get rid of it .... and maybe replace with a giant black MacPro with a fountain in the middle.
:)

.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bishop1j Avatar
155 months ago
I'm all for art, but I've seen that thing in person, and Apple would do everyone a favor by bulldozing it.

I don't think it's all that but hey that's art, it's all opinionated.

I'm all for preserving history and all that, but that is one ugly fountain.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lolkthxbai Avatar
155 months ago
I'm all for art, but I've seen that thing in person, and Apple would do everyone a favor by bulldozing it.

I don't think it's all that but hey that's art, it's all opinionated.

Seriously, that thing was ugly. And that's not an exaggeration like the hate for iOS 7 icons.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arctic Avatar
155 months ago
That fountain will also come in gold.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrxak Avatar
155 months ago
Wow. All this time, since the story first showed up on MacRumors, I was imagining a nice fountain. I figured maybe it was an average, ordinary fountain, at the worst. But that is one ugly fountain. In fact, the worst I have ever seen.

It's hard to screw up a fountain, that's the mistake I made in my thinking.

Now a big glass Apple Store, that's a work of art.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)