designed by foster + partners, first apple flagship store in india opens to the public

Foster + partners designs apple BKC

After waiting for an announcement on the official opening date, Apple takes its fans by surprise as it welcomes the public into its first flagship store in Mumbai, India. Apple BKC towers over the roaming passersby and eager clients at the Jio World Drive shopping mall in Bandra Kurla Complex. Foster + Partners takes over the voluminous and nature-infused design of Apple BKC.

Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, says: ‘We are delighted to collaborate with Apple on their first flagship store in India. Apple BKC embodies the creative spirit of Mumbai. The design incorporates finely crafted elements, locally sourced materials and lush greenery – to stimulate the senses and lift the spirits.’

From the outside, lush surroundings enclose the flagship store’s 8-meter-tall glass façade, an invocation of a seamless connection between the generous double-height volume of the interior and the atmospheric outdoors. Letting the outside spill inside prevails in the store’s motif through the row of ficus trees found inside the flagship. These wonders of nature accentuate the store’s relationship with its landscaped surroundings, all while inducing an unhurried pace in wandering around Apple BKC.

images courtesy of Foster + Partners, © Apple

400 pieces of sustainably sourced oak timber

Foster + Partners and Apple bring together people in a single space. Inside Apple BKC, a large open space named ‘The Forum’ acts as a learning and event space with a large video wall. A tall white acoustic fabric clothes the feature wall that looms over the guests, a reminiscent of the Apple products’ boxes.

For the staircase, the design team fits the laddered steps with stainless steel on the side and two 14-meter-long glass balustrades to mimic escalators while invigorating the cozy environment with a touch of silver glint. Foster + Partners state that the store is a symbiosis of Apple’s unique design approach with crafted elements and local materials.

staircase with stainless steel and two 14-meter-long glass balustrades

The approach toward sourcing materials locally is underscored through the hand-crafted timber ceiling that extends beyond the glass façade and forms an umbrella outside. The thoroughly designed ceiling spans triangular grids of 450,000 individual timber elements, and each of the 1,000 lattice woven-styled ceiling tiles is assembled using 400 pieces of sustainably sourced oak timber, inspired by the work of cane and ratan weavers found in Mumbai.

Apple opens its first store in Mumbai in hopes of amping up its production, from manufacturing to sales, within the South Asian region. ‘Hello Mumbai. We are getting ready to welcome you aboard our first store in India. And raring to see where your creativity takes you at Apple BKC,’ says Apple.

The opening of Apple BKC touches on the company’s move to focus more on the South Asian market, making it on the same level, if not competing with, its Chinese counterpart. Apple also plans to open a second retail store in New Delhi with updates to follow on its date.

This article has been updated on April 19th, 2023 following the recent news about the subject.

hand-crafted timber ceiling that extends beyond the glass façade and forms an umbrella outside