Located on a prominent corner of Jio World Drive, a new retail destination in Mumbai that is part of the Bandra Kurla Complex, Apple BKC marks the brand’s first flagship store in India. Stefan Behling, head of Studio Foster + Partners, explains that the design, with its finely crafted elements, locally sourced materials, and lush greenery, aims to lift spirits and embrace the creative energy of Mumbai.
An internationally recognizable component of the design concept is the visually seamless connection between indoors and out, made possible by 8-meter tall glass facades and a generous double-height volume. In addition, a row of fiscus trees further blurs the lines between the store and the public realm. A contrast to this transparency can be found in the two stone walls that anchor the building. Sourced from Rajasthan, the stone is fine-grained and has a silky texture akin to luxurious georgette fabric.
At the entry-level, the store features Apple’s standard display tables alongside learning and event spaces with a large video wall. A colonnade draws the eye naturally toward a feature wall wrapped in white acoustic fabric.
Another trademark feature of the interior is a striking staircase at the centre of the space. Made of stainless steel and two 14-meter glass balustrades, the stair leads up to a cantilevered mezzanine, which serves as a point of prospect from which visitors can look out over the ground floor and the public realm beyond.
The sense of continuity between the interior and exterior spaces is further emphasized with a hand-crafted timber ceiling that clads the interior ceiling and extends fluidly outward to the underside of the outer canopy. The ornate ceiling comprises a triangular grid with 450,000 individual timber elements arranged in a unique geometric pattern. Each of the approximately 1,000 ceiling tiles is made using 400 pieces of sustainably sourced oak timber arranged in a woven lattice pattern that draws inspiration from the work of local cane and rattan weavers.
As a final note, the store is supplied with renewable energy from a dedicated solar array and is LEED Platinum certified.
