Apple has shelved plans to build a new flagship Apple Store at the Federation Square shopping center in Melbourne, Australia after heritage authorities refused an application to demolish the Yarra Building that's already on the site.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Heritage Victoria today said that the Yarra Building could not be torn down as it would result in an "unacceptable and irreversible detrimental impact on the cultural heritage significance of Federation Square." Apple in response said that it would not proceed with plans to build the store.
The retail store Apple planned to build at Federation Square after design revisions
An Apple spokesperson told The Age that Apple was disappointed it would no longer be able to build a retail store at Federation Square. "We remain committed to serving our customers in Melbourne and across Australia," said the spokesperson.
Apple first announced plans to build an Apple retail location at Federation Square in December 2017, with the company planning to make it an "Apple Global Flagship Store" that would have been Apple's most significant store in the Southern Hemisphere, offering workshops, classes, and live music events.
Apple's plans for the store called for the demolition of the Yarra Building, a move that ultimately received backlash from the Melbourne City Council and Melbourne locals unhappy with the plan to give public space to a corporation.
The original Federation Square design featured a pagoda-style building that locals also disliked, referring to it as a "Pizza Hut Pagoda." Apple in July 2018 submitted revised blueprints for the store with an updated design created after workshops with Federation Square management, the Victorian Government, and the Melbourne City Council, but permission was still required to remove the Yarra Building.
The Yarra Building, via The Sydney Morning Herald
Federation Square management in December applied to Heritage Victoria for a permit that would allow the Yarra Building to be torn down so Apple could proceed with the building of the store, but that application was denied after heritage authorities received thousands of objections from Melbourne locals.
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:12 pm PST by Juli Clover
New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are slated to launch in the near future, according to information shared with MacRumors by an Apple Premium Reseller.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The third-party Apple retailer said that MacBook Pro stock is very low currently because there is an imminent new product introduction. Apple typically coordinates supply with...
I managed to contact a representative who told me that, “After much effort, we've concluded the Federation Square store will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project.”
The Yarra Bldg. looks like something Frank Gehry designed after dropping acid. Any aesthetic, even Apple's condescending pseudo-minimalist claptrap, would be an improvement.
This is great news! The Yarra looks much nicer and holds more significance than that "Pizza Hut restaurant" Apple wanted to build. Apple could've picked anywhere else in the CBD...
You must be joking. That building is a hideous eyesore. Especially next to the elegant Flinders Station.
I was all for the new Fed Square Apple Store, simply because it would provide a place to sit and have attractions and amusements. Fed Square as it currently stands is a heat bowl, like a desert in summer and completely boring. An Apple store there would not only attract tourists, have a point of an attraction but also update the architecture which is currently quite ugly to look at, let alone be in. A real shame they couldn’t come to a compromise as I firmly believe that as it stands, Fed Square is not an inviting public space to be in. People just go there because it’s there and there’s nothing else around. Sad.
