Apple store Melbourne to be built at Federation Square

PART of Federation Square will be demolished to make way for a mega Apple store, being hailed as the first flagship store for the tech giant in the Southern Hemisphere.

PART of Federation Square will be demolished to make way for a mega Apple store, being hailed as the first flagship store for the tech giant in the Southern Hemisphere.

Apple will knock down and replace the Yarra Building with a two-storey “pavilion” in a multi-million move on the key CBD site.

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The tech giant will foot the bill for the demolition and construction and then lease the freehold for about 20 years.

How the new Apple store will look.

The existing Yarra Building will be demolished to make way for the store.

The Apple store will have prime river footage.

The Apple store will have Yarra views.

Tourism Minister John Eren said the Fed Square shake up came at no cost to the taxpayer.

“All Apple wanted from us was access to this very important space,” he said.

“Our Christmases have come all at once.

“There are only five of these stores around the world. The only one outside of the US, of course, is Milan and we will be the only store in the Southern Hemisphere.”

Apple’s Josh Lowden said the new store — sitting on the river side of Federation Square — would be unlike any other across the country.

He refused to detail the cost of construction, rent or whether the agreement included guarantees that Apple would not to build flagship stores in other Australian cities.

The revamp will move the Koorie Heritage Trust to the Alfred Deakin building at Federation Square and create 500 square metres of extra public space.

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But planning leaders have criticised the move to drop a commercial giant in the middle of a key public space.

Renders released today show large floor-to-ceiling glass windows with metal cladding.

Architecture experts have previously “shuddered” at Apple’s glass-dominated designs.

Peter Maddison, who hosts the Grand Designs Australia TV show, said when Apple’s Federation Square negotiations became public in 2016 that its typical big glass box store would blow away the original design principles.

The Yarra Building will be demolished to make way for the Apple Store.

“I shudder to think they’re going to strip all that away and put a big three-storey glass facade imposed within that quite cohesive composition,” he said.

“What I really worry about is Lab Architecture’s work being blasted away and a big glass box going in there.

“That’s the antithesis of what Lab’s architecture work is — it’s all about finely resolved detailing and complex facade treatments.”

Yet Donald Bates, the original Federation Square architect, said Apple Federation Square was respectful of the original vision for the site.

“With more public space, extensive landscaping and better access to the river allowing more people to enjoy this renowned civic, cultural and commercial hub,” Prof Bates said.

The new store will employ about 200 workers and is expected to draw an extra two million people to the square.

Federation Square chief executive Jonathan Tribe said the agreement to secure the store, after two years’ negotiation, was one plan to combat the square’s flatlining visitor numbers.

About 10 million people now visit the square a year.

“It is exciting because it represents a new stepping off point for Fed Square, which is now 16 years old,” Mr Tribe said.

“It has been experiencing declining, but now static, attendance in a marketplace which is becoming increasingly competitive.

“Fed Square is on the move. We are re-imagining the future and this is but one important element of how we see Fed Square emerging over the years.”

Mr Ginnane, who runs advisory firm Ginnane & Associates, said Apple executives dismissed the idea to open a flagship store at Federation Square when it was first floated about five years ago.

“I think Apple has re-evaluated what Federation Square will be in the future,” he said.

“With the redevelopment across the road in Flinders Lane and the new train line (Melbourne Metro Tunnel) running through there it is basically where Melbourne’s growth will go to next.

“This move will also re-position Federation Square as a new destination space.”

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