Apple Store Designs Are Inspired By Soviet-Era Buildings

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The design of the new Apple Stores has been intriguingly compared to the architecture of public buildings in Moscow and Sochi from the 1960s and 1970s.

Apple Store in Bangkok, Thailand.

For instance, the Apple Store in Bangkok and the Sochi Ticket Office share a unique conical design with large windows. The Sochi “Round Ticket Offices,” constructed in the 1960s, had this distinctive look but were taken down in 2012.

Apple Store Aventura in Miami.

Similarly, the Apple Store Aventura in Miami and the Sochi Bus Station feature-wave-shaped roofs and glass facades. Designed by Vyacheslav Morozov in 1966, the Sochi Bus Station exhibits these modernist elements that Apple has echoed in its store designs.

Apple Park in Cupertino.

Apple Park in Cupertino and Moscow’s GSK “Zapad” are both notable for their ring-shaped architecture. Constructed in the 1970s, GSK “Zapad” reflects the circular design that Apple embraced for its campus.

Apple Store in California.

The Apple Store in California and the “Lakmka” Cafeteria in Sochi both feature glass facades and flat roofs, hallmarks of 1960s modernist architecture. These elements create a sleek, open appearance that has become a signature of Apple’s store designs.

While Apple’s stores share visual similarities with Soviet-era structures, they possess a more luxurious and polished look.

This is largely due to the use of higher-quality materials, giving Apple’s designs a contemporary and upscale feel compared to the utilitarian approach of the 1960s and 1970s Soviet architecture.

Apple’s incorporation of these architectural elements not only creates a visually appealing and modern shopping experience but also pays homage to the innovative design principles of the past.