Apple Marina Bay Sands

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Photo by Finbarr Fallon

A large floating transparent bubble celebrates light in its purest form. Apple's new store in Singapore makes for a completely new retail experience, conceived by Foster + Partners.

There’s never two without three, and this case the saying is even more appropriate. Apple, the Cupertino-based giant, opened its third store in Singapore in September, following the store in Orchard Road in 2017, and the one at Jewel Changi airport in 2019, which boasts the tallest waterfall in the world in an enclosed space. The third retail store, on the other hand, has the distinction of being the first of 510 in 25 countries to be built on water. Apple has had a presence in Singapore for over 40 years, since setting up the Ang Mo Kio premises which produce the majority of circuit boards for Apple II computers worldwide.

The Apple Marina Bay Sands looks like a transparent bubble, floating on a tall black glass base in the magnificent bay of Singapore, in what is currently the coolest part of the city, with the Supertrees hanging gardens, which in the evening look like trees with large canopies decked with coloured lights, along with futuristic skyscrapers and luxury hotels.

The project stems from the close collaboration between Apple’s design team and the engineering and design team at Foster + Partners, the London-based studio helmed by Sir Norman Foster, who has designed all the flagship stores for the iconic, intrinsically design-linked brand. The partnership between Sir Norman and the Apple Park in Cupertino, the mammoth “spaceship” which Steve Jobs was so keen to have as the new company headquarters, was forged in 2017. It has continued with the remit to refresh the social and educational atmosphere in the sales outlets.

The store chimes perfectly with the spacious, transparent and luminous ambiance found in all Apple’s retail outlets, which have become a winning formula for flagship retail store design. It is a showcase on the sea. Apple’s retail design philosophy has informed large windows that rethink the relationship with the city, along with iconic floating steps and a simple, minimalist display made of rectangular tables, product shelves and shelving for accessories, as well as the Genius bar, which offers free technical support and is one of the strongpoints of Apple stores.

The building consists of a self-supporting, all-glass domed structure. Ten slender vertical mullions hold the 140 glass panels together, making for a 360° panoramic view over the city and its incredible skyline. A volume and a space that provide an unforgettable experience for its visitors, or even just for those observing it from outside. It makes for a doubly powerful experience because the glass panels reflect the skyline and the movement of the water inside, while the concentric white rings of baffles create constant, unexpected plays of light that dialogue with the inpouring of light that floods unhindered from the central oculus, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. At night, this futuristic geodesic dome lights up, evoking the traditional lanterns of Singapore’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

David Summerfield of Foster + Partners had this to say: “Apple Marina Bay Sands is all about the delicate interplay between transparency and shade. The structure dissolves the boundary between the inside and outside, creating a minimal platform that floats gently in the water, looking out over the bay and the spectacular Singapore skyline.”Stefan Belig, also of Foster + Partners, added: “The dome appears ephemeral. The effect is very calming, and the changing intensity and colour of the light is mesmerising. It is not only a celebration of Apple’s incredible products, but a celebration of light.”

The 30-metre diameter interior is a large open space broken up only by a central video-wall, onto which cultural events and educational sessions are projected, such as Today At Apple. A row of ten trees lines the internal circumference of the dome, with an equal number of display tables radiating from the perimeter, allowing the green of the city – lest we forget, Singapore is the greenest city in Asia -to flow into the building, blurring the distinction between indoor and outdoor, and offering visitors shade from the tropical light and surprising shadow plays. Leather-topped benches in a range of pale colours, like the finishes and the other furnishings, are dispersed around the space, providing seating as well as affording panoramic views of the spectacular Marina Bay.

Entry is either by means of a gangway from the shore, marked by a small Apple sign, or from The Shoppes retail centre nearby, by means of a set of escalators, making their first appearance in an Apple store. A curved staircase, a cylindrical lift and other escalators lead to the underwater level, where an undersea tunnel leads to a meeting room and another exhibition space. The 148-strong Genius team, who speak 23 languages between them, is ready and waiting for you.