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Apple's Zorlu Store Receives 'Supreme Award' at Structural Awards 2014

Friday December 12, 2014 3:57 am PST by Kelly Hodgkins
Accolades for Apple's Zorlu store in Istanbul, Turkey continue to roll in with the company's Zorlu store winning the both the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence and the award for best Commercial or Retail Structures at the Structural Awards 2014. This Supreme award is given to the building that exemplifies the "finest example of structural engineering design" for the year.

apple-zorlu-invite
Apple was recognized for the intricate and minimalist structural design of its flagship store in the upscale Zorlu shopping center in Istanbul, Turkey. Created in conjunction with structural engineering firm Eckersley O'Callaghan and architects Foster + Partners, the building features a unique cubic design with an all-glass ceiling and sides to take advantage of the natural lighting in the open area of the mall.
The judges found this to be a supreme example of collaboration between engineer and fabricator to achieve an outstanding, architecturally minimalist structure. The use of single panes of toughened laminated glass to support a lightweight ultra-thin CFRP roof without connections other than structural silicone, takes structural glass technology into a new dimension. A project where only engineering excellence and attention to detail can produce a result of such simplicity and purity of expression.
Apple's 20,000 square foot Zorlu store opened earlier this year with Apple's manager of retail stores Steve Cano on location for the grand opening. It was the first store in Turkey until the recent opening of the country's second Apple Store in Istanbul's Akasya Shopping Mall.

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Haifisch
62 months ago
They need make to it thinner.
Rating: 19 Votes
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maflynn
62 months ago
Wow, that is beautiful looking - amazing.
Rating: 12 Votes
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Ping Guo
62 months ago
Cold, sterile, uninviting.

Echoing others' comments, I do love it when they put the stores in old buildings like Covent Gardens and Paris Opéra.

Rating: 12 Votes
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lotzosushi
62 months ago
The picture makes it look like a big button I want to push :)
Rating: 12 Votes
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JeffyTheQuik
62 months ago
It must be fun to be an :apple: Architect. The beauty of their buildings shows it.
Rating: 11 Votes
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617arg
62 months ago

Cold, sterile, uninviting.

Echoing others' comments, I do love it when they put the stores in old buildings like Covent Gardens and Paris Opéra.


This isn't an award for design, it's for Structural Engineering. Regardless of the merits of the design the engineering of this is pretty amazing. No seams in glass panels this large is not something you see every day. Topped with an ultra thin carbon fiber reinforced roof panel......it takes things in building design/construction to a whole other level. I do wonder if/how that roof is insulated however. I'd love to see construction details.
Rating: 10 Votes
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FrizzleFryBen
62 months ago
Well that looks familiar.

Honestly, I'm getting kinda bored with the simplicity of their 'cube' and glass designs. I much prefer when they update historic spaces.
Rating: 7 Votes
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2457282
62 months ago
i like the big icon on top and that the glass has no breaks in it. This seems like an improvement over the cube in New York. I wonder if they will retrofit NY to this design.
Rating: 5 Votes
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satchmo
62 months ago
I hope it's bigger than just that one little square room.:D
Rating: 5 Votes
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byke
62 months ago
Shame so much focus is on the architecture on the retail outlets instead of the architecture of their software. Would iOS 8 receive a similar award for design excellence? I don't think so .....
Rating: 5 Votes

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