The original staircase has been replaced by a stainless steel version spiraling around a glass cylinder-shaped elevator. Despite its subterranean location, the store itself is brightly day-lit and full of living greenery, including trees and planted walls. Tunable white LED lights on the ceiling automatically shift from cool to warm tones after dark, and there?s plenty of space to hang out, interact with the goods, talk to employees, or just take it all in.

Naturally, this flagship Apple store is mobbed with tourists at all times, so it?s not exactly the ideal choice for customers who just need to grab something quickly. Like all Apple stores, it doesn?t have checkout counters ? you have to locate a wandering employee equipped with a handheld checkout iPod Touch to make a purchase. But you can probably avoid much of the hubbub by taking advantage of the fact that this location is always open. Amazingly enough, Apple employs 900 people at this store alone to keep it running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They add: “Even in low-light conditions, the intensity is higher around the skylights and gradually recedes away from it, giving the impression of natural light flooding the interior. A ring of lights around each skylight contains focus lighting that highlights the products on the display tables. The ventilation system is discreetly integrated within the stone floor and responds intelligently to the levels of occupancy and outdoor weather, optimizing ener...