The Michigan Avenue Apple Store in Chicago is probably one of the best looking store designs in the city. It’s nicely situated next to the Chicago River and across from the Tribune building. But it seems this Apple Store may have truly been designed in California because it’s not built to handle Chicago’s snow and ice. I’ve lived in Chicago and the Chicago suburbs for 95% of my life and if there’s one thing we have in the winter, it’s snow and ice.
The Apple Store on Michigan Avenue has a beautifully designed carbon fiber roof that is shaped like a MacBook Pro. But just like a MacBook Pro, this roof doesn’t have gutters to catch melting snow or sliding ice. This poses a huge safety concern for customers and pedestrians walking next to the building. Apple has had to block off the walking areas around the store to prevent injuries. The building was designed by British firm Foster and Partners who have an office in San Francisco.
Design flaw in Apple flagship store. https://t.co/eNdvFlE7nC pic.twitter.com/LSgSdvUaVr
— Matt Maldre (@mattmaldre) December 29, 2017
Still, you would think designers, engineers, and architects would account for the fact that Chicago sees snow from time to time. While it is true that some parts of the city may see less snow than others, the fact is, snow should have been factored into the design of this structure. I will add that it’s not uncommon to find some sidewalks covered in the winter by scaffolding and wood to protect pedestrians from falling snow and ice. Perhaps Foster and Partners will come up with a solution that will fit the aesthetic of the building because it is very lovely. I guess we won’t find out until later this year, hopefully, they’ll do something to fix the situation.
What do you think of this design flaw? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”http://fortune.com/2017/12/29/apple-store-chicago-snow-ice/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Fortune[/button]
Comments are closed.