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New Apple Store for Santa Monica


Jeff Wexler

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The Santa Monica Dispatch's Peggy Clifford attended yesterday's Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting and reports that Apple's new Third Street Promenade building was quickly approved, without even discussion.

"The surprise was that the staff put the project on the Consent Calendar. I cannot remember any large, complex commercial project ever going on the Consent Calendar. Apple was the only item on last night’s Calendar. And, under the rules, the Consent Calendar is approved as a whole – unless someone wishes to pull at item for discussion".

And in that crucial blink, the commissioners approved the Consent Calendar (aka Apple Glass House), and that was that – except for a staff report on the redesign of the Project Case List, after which they adjourned.

The proposal first came to light yesterday, and detailed a new 8,084 glass-roofed Apple Store to be built on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. The store will be built in the space of an old Borders Bookstore.

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Certainly not very "Green" Think of how much power it is going to take to air condition and heat this virtual greenhouse.

Also not very smart. Have you ever tried to read your laptop screen in direct sunlight. I think the architect isn't thinking about the product they are selling only the look of the building. Just like everything else Apple does. It's all about what it looks like. Not about how well it is suited for the job.

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Just wondering - you don't suppose that the glass roof is the auto darkening material used in prescription lenses?

It's not entirely a foolish speculation. The new Ferraris use it for the engine cover and, I believe, the new Goldman Sachs building in southern Manhattan uses that special glass in its windows. And that G-S building is supposedly very energy efficient.

Just wondering.

David

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Actually with tinted glass and proper ventilation the glass box design can be pretty green, especially with the cool air coming in from the sea in SM.

You ever parked your car at the beach with the windows rolled up.. Gets up to about 130 degrees..

And if the glass darkens or is heavily tinted it might as well be a well insulated opaque roof. Variable tint glass makes sense in a Window which isn't in direct sunlight all day or in Sunglasses that are worn on a moving person. But in a roof in a stationary building it is pretty much a given that is will be dark all day long.

Also the design is very wasteful for HVAC because they have to heat and cool an entire extra floor of airspace which no-one will benefit from. Same is true with the LA convention center. Three story high atrium that has glass walls with lots of dead air to cool. Just so people can look up and go Wow look at the tall ceiling. Like I said it is more of an artistic statement than a functional building.

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I'd bet the arc of the glass in the roof exactly matches the Arc of the Glass used in the curved glass windows in their new Headquarters.

So the Store in Santa Monica will be built from leftovers. After all Apple bought the Glass company that makes that glass they might as well design buildings out of the spare parts.

Here is a slightly humorous look at the secrets behind the new HQ planned for Cupertino.

http://allthingsd.com/20110610/secret-features-of-apples-new-headquarters/

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That is funny!

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They should have added a secret escape pod if and when Apple's stock price collapses. And also a storeroom for all the Apple products that tanked (E-Mac, Apple Lisa, the Newton, Steve's old NeXt machines, the Hocky Puck mice, orange iMacs, the G4 cubes, etc.). There's all kinds of skeletons in their glass closet.

Bear in mind that I'm the guy who loves the Mac, but sometimes hates Apple (or at least some of the decisions they make).

--Marc W.

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