The newly completed Apple Singapore Marina Bay Sands flagship store stands as a captivating addition to Singapore’s coastline. The architectural design features a full glass dome with a diameter of 30 meters, resting on a sleek black glass base. This project represents a collaboration between the Apple design team and Foster + Partners.
David Summerfield from Foster + Partners described the project as “a design that balances transparency and shadow. We aimed to blur the lines between interior and exterior spaces by creating a unique structure — a floating micro-platform on the water’s surface, offering visitors panoramic views of the Singapore skyline and bay.”
From a structural standpoint, the flagship store combines steel and glass materials. The steel cross-section grid provides essential weight support, while the curved structural glass panels offer lateral reinforcement, enhancing the overall stability of the structure. To maintain a comfortable interior environment, a sunshade system was integrated. Each of the 114 glass panels was carefully selected to meet Singapore’s exclusive sustainable certification standard, BCA, earning the building green certification.
The multifunctional concentric sunshade rings, which gradually narrow along with the dome’s shape, serve multiple purposes. They provide sound absorption within the space, diffuse incoming sunlight, and reflect it onto the upper baffle, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. The beam of light streaming from the dome’s apex recalls the iconic Pantheon in Rome.
Stefan Behling of Foster + Partners added, “This dome structure appears infinitely variable, presenting countless forms depending on environmental conditions. It not only reflects Apple’s design ethos but also celebrates natural lighting.”
Reflecting Singapore’s garden city vision, the flagship store incorporates ten trees arranged around the outer ring. These trees provide additional shade and help soften the boundary between the building and its surroundings. Leather seating was also installed nearby to offer visitors a comfortable place to rest.
Visitors enter the flagship store from The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands through a stunning curved stone entrance, followed by a 45-meter-long, 7.6-meter-wide avenue. They then ascend another escalator to reach the unique dome space, experiencing a kaleidoscope-like journey. The location offers spectacular coastal and urban views. During the day, the dome reflects surrounding water and natural light; at night, it features distinctive interior lighting that complements the nearby Singapore city skyline.
Project Information
Project Type: Retail Architecture, Retail Interior Design
Location: Singapore
Architect: Foster + Partners
Year: 2020
Manufacturer: Terrazzo & Marble
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