Nestled in Mumbai’s hustling and bustling Bandra Kurla Complex, a popular financial, arts, and entertainment district is India’s first Apple Store! And it just happened to open up today on the 18th of April. Yeah, you heard that right. India just got its first Apple store today, a couple of years too late in my opinion. Still, I guess Apple finally acknowledged that India is a serious market for them, and deserves its own store. Located in the Jio World Drive, Apple claims that the store is one of the most energy-efficient stores worldwide, and they even had Tim Cook attend the opening!
Designer: Foster + Partners
As mentioned earlier the Apple BKC is designed to be one of its most energy-efficient stores, which is supported by the fact that it has been equipped with a dedicated solar array, and has zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations. This enables the store to run on 100% renewable energy, making it completely carbon neutral.
“At Apple, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and our teams are excited to celebrate this wonderful moment with them as we open our first retail store in India,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail. “Apple BKC is a reflection of Mumbai’s vibrant culture and brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community.”
The architecture of the Apple BKC does not fail at all. Much like its counterparts over the world, it has been designed exquisitely – featuring a triangular handcrafted timber ceiling that graciously extends beyond the glass facade to the underside of the exterior canopy – showcasing the unique and innovative geometry of the store. Each tile in the ceiling is made using 408 pieces of timber, therein forming 31 modules per tile, with a total of 1000 tiles making up the entirety of the ceiling. All of the 45,000 individual timber elements were assembled in New Delhi.
As you enter the store, you are welcomed by two stone walls sourced from Rajasthan and an impressive 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase that connects the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine. In addition to the well-designed architecture, the Apple BKC store has employed more than 100 team members that collectively speak over 20 languages. It also features an Apple Pickup option which allows customers to place an order online, and pick up their products when they like – making their Apple shopping experience a seamless and smooth one.
