Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts this week announced that the iPhone maker's upcoming store along the Chicago River opens Friday, October 20.

apple store chicago river

Apple's new Chicago River store via MacRumors reader David Sexton

The two-floor store will be located on North Michigan Avenue, near the historic Michigan Avenue Bridge, along the river's north bank. The flagship location will feature glass walls and a carbon fiber roof, which at one point had a white Apple logo on it, making it look like a giant MacBook Air when viewed from above.

Apple has removed its logo from the roof as of late August, and it's unclear if it will be added back at some point.

The store was designed by Apple's longtime architectural partner Foster + Partners, and pays homage to architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style homes in Chicago. Based on plans from 2015, the building spans 20,000 square feet and replaces a vacant food court. Construction has been ongoing for over a year.


A lengthy staircase leads from street level to a walkway in front of the store. The building will also be accessible via elevator.

Ahrendts, speaking at Apple's first-ever event at the Steve Jobs Theater on Tuesday, also said Apple's iconic Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan will reopen late next year. She said the glass cube at street level will eventually be reinstalled, and the lower level will be greatly expanded with a new design.

Ahrendts said Apple's retail stores collectively welcome over 500 million visitors per year. Apple has 497 stores around the world.

Apple's nearby store at 679 North Michigan Avenue opened in July 2003. It will permanently close on October 20.

Update: Apple has announced that its retail store at The Summit in Reno, Nevada will be relocating to a new location within the shopping center on Saturday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. local time. The new location will presumably be larger and updated with Apple's newer store design. (Thanks, Storeteller!)

Top Rated Comments

jmgregory1 Avatar
100 months ago
Shouldn't you be calling them "Town Squares" instead of "Stores" now?
I hate that name. It's such a consulting business / private equity owned business term, that follows with "town hall meetings". I get that Angela is trying to better describe the fact that Apple is more than just a retailer, but they're definitely not a town and their stores, which is what they are, are not town squares.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike Oxard Avatar
100 months ago
Shouldn't you be calling them "Town Squares" instead of "Stores" now?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rojaaemon Avatar
100 months ago
Shouldn't you be calling them "Town Squares" instead of "Stores" now?
Yeah, "We actually don't call them stores anymore, we call them town squares, because they're gathering places."

So, better put in a water fountain or a bar or something. And I ain't sittin' long on those wood boxes! Seriously, there are more comfortable "gathering places" in Singapore International baggage claim area than in any Apple TS I've been in.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
100 months ago
Shouldn't you be calling them "Town Squares" instead of "Stores" now?
It's quite possible you are being sarcastic, but if not, they are still stores fundamentally. "Town Squares" just sounds like lame marketing to me.

Can you already call something iconic when yet not even opened or not having some history at all? Well, seems so...looking great nevertheless.
Fair point. I've changed Iconic to Beautiful in the headline.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
100 months ago
It's a beautiful store, but that segment of the keynote was pretentious and cringy
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Asarien Avatar
100 months ago
It's great seeing how far architectural aesthetics has come. Apple Stores couldn't look more metallic and closed off when they first opened 16 years ago.

This environment is beautiful, and the Milan "store" looks even more impressive.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Could Debut Advanced Silicon Battery Tech

Friday May 16, 2025 8:00 am PDT by
The upcoming all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air could become the first Apple smartphone to adopt advanced battery technology, with Japanese supplier TDK preparing to ship its new generation of silicon-anode batteries by the end of June. According to DigiTimes, TDK CEO Noboru Saito revealed in a recent interview that the Apple supplier has accelerated its production timeline, moving shipments...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...