Amaya Toman When the word "Apple Store" comes to mind, many people think of either the familiar glass cube on 5th Avenue or the spiral glass staircase. It is this staircase that will be discussed in today's installment of our series on the history of Apple.
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In early December 2007, Apple opened the doors of its brand-name retail store on West 14th Street in New York City. One of the dominant features of this branch was the majestic glass staircase that wound through all three floors of the shopping complex. The aforementioned branch is the largest Apple store in Manhattan, and at the same time the second largest Apple store in the United States. An entire floor of this store is dedicated to the services of the apple company, and this branch was also the first ever Apple Store to offer its visitors the opportunity to take advantage of free courses and workshops within the Pro Labs program. “We think New Yorkers are going to love this amazing new space and the incredibly talented local team. The Apple Store on West 14th Street is a place where people can shop, learn and truly be inspired," said Ron Johnson, who served as Apple's vice president of retail at the time, in an official statement.
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The Apple Store on West 14th Street was truly impressive, both in terms of size and design and layout. But the glass spiral staircase deservedly earned the most attention. The Apple company already had experience with the construction of staircases of a similar type, for example, from its stores in Osaka or Shibuya, Japan; a similar staircase was also located in the already mentioned branch on 5th Avenue or on Buchanan Street in Glasgow, Scotland. But the staircase on West 14th Street was truly exceptional in its height, becoming the largest and most complex spiral glass staircase built at the time. A little later, three-story glass staircases were built, for example, in Apple stores on Boylston Street in Boston or Beijing. One of the "inventors" of this iconic glass staircase was Steve Jobs himself - he even started working on its concept as early as 1989.
Unlike some other apple stores, the exterior of the Apple Store on West 14th Street does not abound in anything that would catch the eye of passers-by at first glance, but its interior is considered one of the most successful.
