Apple has reportedly offered a three-digit million amount to acquire an underground bunker in Stuttgart that it wanted to convert into a retail outlet similar to its iconic New York 5th Avenue Store.

The city of Stuttgart is still without an Apple Store, with the nearest one in Sindelfingen about 12 miles away. Apple has reportedly been searching for a suitable retail home in the city for some time, having rejected various locations in recent years, including a planned move into the Milaneo shopping mall which the company is said to have pulled out of at the last minute.

marktplatz_stuttgart-nr
According to German tech site ifun.de, Apple's search for a home in the state capital even led to the company offering a "three-digit million amount" for a series of wartime bunker rooms under the Stuttgarter Market Square in the center of the city.

After the Second World War, the bunker system in question was used as a 100-bed hotel from 1945 to 1985. The Bunker Hotel had ventilation shafts instead of windows, and the rooms still exist to this day, but are reportedly dilapidated.

An architectural competition to make the bunker a public exhibit was announced in 1995 and the winning design by Neugebauer + Roesch Architect was a 31 meter-long and 14 meter-high glass prism as an entrance pavilion to underground stores, but the design was never realized because of lack of interest from the city administration.

The original architectural proposals fit Apple's portfolio of underground store, which typically involve a recognizable glass construction entrance leading to retail rooms below, as seen at the company's flagship 5th Avenue store in New York. However, the city administration are said to be reluctant to have an Apple logo-emblazoned edifice directly opposite the Stuttgart City Hall and have so far rejected Apple's large offer of money to acquire the location.

At least for now, Apple's search for a retail home in the the state capital of Baden-Württemberg appears set to continue.

Tag: Germany

Top Rated Comments

aussiephil Avatar
89 months ago
I feel like Apple shopping for real estate is like a wealthy woman shopping for a Chanel bag to add to her collection..
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aussiephil Avatar
89 months ago
Really, it's getting ridiculous now. Just setup shop at a nice space. It's nice that they have money to spend but they don't have to be obnoxious about it.
I think it's more about continuous marketing.. no other company in the world is more famous for their unique stores than Apple. It's just reminding consumers of the power and superiority of their brand. :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
89 months ago
Apple should just buy Stuttgart, after all they’ve already bought Ireland.

/s.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Deemr Avatar
89 months ago
Sure, the city with the huge Mercedes Logo on top of the roof of the public train station, the huge Bosch Logo at the highway crossing airport car park has problems when a merchants logo appear on a "market" place. The ignore a 3-digit million offer to get a iconic landmark and revitalization of sub terrain buildings.

Makes sense to me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
travisjaymoore Avatar
89 months ago
What does "three-digit million" mean, exactly? Does that mean they're offering at least 100 million?
For a retail location, that seems insane. But I don't know how else to interpret that wording.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarHeadz Avatar
89 months ago
I'm sure you would have changed your tune if they had the Apple logo on the front of the store... :-\
Maybe I'd have a chance to change my tune if their irrelevance didn't force them to close 17 years ago. :p
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
BMW Logo iPhone 15 Pro

Warning: BMW Wireless Charging May Break iPhone 15's Apple Pay Chip

Sunday October 1, 2023 6:14 am PDT by
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions

Friday September 29, 2023 12:34 pm PDT by
MacRumors has obtained preliminary information on the weights and dimensions planned for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The information corroborates previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will feature larger displays. iPhone 16 and 16 Plus Current information suggests that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will maintain the same...
CarPlay SharePlay

CarPlay Not Working for Some iPhone 15 Users, Possibly Because of USB-C Cables

Friday September 29, 2023 2:27 pm PDT by
CarPlay is not working as expected for some iPhone 15 users, an issue that is likely linked to the transition to USB-C. There are multiple complaints from MacRumors readers and Reddit users who are unable to get CarPlay to work with their new devices. Cable type and available port options are a common theme in the CarPlay reports, with many of the functionality problems linked to USB-A to...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...