Almost all of the drawings, observations and guesses previously made on this blog regarding the Highland Village Apple store have been confirmed, according to documents filed by Apple with the city of Houston. Here is an update on previous reports, along with some interesting new details.
The 9,000+ square foot Highland Village store will feature a gently curving glass roof, supported on either side by faux stone slabs (slate veneer over steel structure.) The store is clearly cut from the cloth of the rumored next-generation design seen in recent architectural renderings of yet-to-be constructed California stores.
The ceiling consists of 54 custom fabricated, quadruple layered glass panels. Unlike the clear glass ceiling of the NYC Upper West Side store, the main area of the Houston roof is completely opaque, creating a much needed barrier to battle against the Texas sun, with 26 semi-transparent panels around the edges.
Below this enormous glass lense lies an impressive 5,670 square feet of retail space, making it the largest Apple store in Houston. This is wide enough to accommodate four rows of the Apple standard issue Fetzer maple tables, and still leave space for the usual wall counters and backlit Duratran displays.
Both front and back walls feature floor to ceiling glass with double door access. This see-through design is a unique feature, unlike any other next-gen designs revealed to date, is made possible by the free-standing nature of this particular shopping center building.
Previously reported “secret chambers” are indeed a reality and a necessity for this location. Two elevators (one for people, one for product) are built into an 8 x 120 foot enclosure cleverly designed to blend into the look of the adjoining building. The lifts lead to a 3510 sq ft second floor above two adjacent businesses; The Paper Source and Cupcake Bakery.
This area includes a conference room that accommodates 46 people, business offices, work spaces, a break room, employee restrooms and 770 sq feet of product storage.
More info and details to come soon. Meanwhile here are some cool new store photos from Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle, and a few more Apple stories.
