Apple allegedly constructing store at the Third Street Promenade with breathtaking transparent glass ceiling

File this under the “wow, just wow” category. According to Curbed (via MacRumors), Apple could be interested in building a new store at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, right in the neighborhood of another store the company already runs in the area. What’s interesting about this particular brick-and-mortar shop is concept. Breaking away from its usual flagship stores design, this could be Apple’s first-ever flagship store with an all-glass transparent ceiling (sans the Upper West Side store), accentuated by an “expansive floor-to-ceiling height”, per this proposal (PDF document) from applicant Howard Robinson.

The document describes a 8,084-square-foot building with a 5,210-square-foot basement. The front façade is said to consist “entirely of transparent glass panels that will project five feet from stone paneled side walls”. Even though the proposal never names the iPhone maker directly, no other company in the world save Apple is famous for its love for glass store design on such a large scale. It could be, however, anything so take this report with a healthy dose of skepticism as we are running it for the sake of discussion. Another interesting tidbit regarding a transportation program for store workers:

The applicant will offer all full-time retail employees a $100 monthly transit subsidy towards the purchase of transit fare and a $20 per month bicycle reimbursement subsidy for improvements, maintenance, and service. In addition, secure bicycle parking for employees of the building will be located in the basement level.

As Apple gears up to launch iPhone 5 (possibly on October 7), the company has been aggressively building new stores to meet high demand for its many products. Three new grand openings are due this coming Saturday in America, England and Spain. In China alone Apple promised up to 25 new stores by the year’s end, including another flagship brick-and-mortar building in Hong Kong…

Apple is also replacing the iconic glass cube on the Fifth Avenue with an updated design reportedly worth $6 million. It calls for a seamless appearance stemming from the use of fifteen glass panes, three per side, down from ninety. All those endeavors pale in comparison with a monumental 23,000-square-foot retail space that will be integrated right inside New York’s landmarked Grand Central Terminal. In addition, Apple is believed to be building a store inside Union Station, Denver’s enormous rail station currently undergoing an impressive rejuvenation.