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Apple Brompton Road store to open close to London’s Harrods, with ‘fantastical AR realm’

London is to get a third flagship Apple Store, this one very close to the world-famous Harrods department store. Apple Brompton Road is located at a suitably prestigious location, which the Royal Institute of British Architects refers to as “the gateway to Knightsbridge.”

Knightsbridge is an upscale shopping area with many designer stores. These include Christian Louboutin, Gucci, Hermes, Jimmy Choo, and more. The store is directly opposite Harvey Nichols, another very well-known upmarket department store.

Background

Apple currently has two flagship retail stores in central London – one in Covent Garden, the other on Regent Street.

The company has additional stores in shopping centers on both the east and west sides of the capital.

Apple Brompton Road

Apple’s website said that the store will open on July 28.

Our newest store on London’s iconic Brompton Road, a moment away from Hyde Park, is almost ready to explore. It’s a place where your boldest ideas can bloom, and we’re here to help them grow.

The store forms part of a major redevelopment of the upmarket shopping area as part of a deal that was first reported by London’s Evening Standard back in 2019.

Tech giant Apple is poised to plant its flag in one of London’s most luxurious shopping areas as it bolsters its presence in the capital, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Property sources said the iPhones maker has agreed to open a 20,000 square feet Knightsbridge store between high-end department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

It is understood to have signed a deal with Chelsfield, the property asset manager overseeing the makeover of The Knightsbridge Estate.

Ultimate Pocket reported that the store will have an area dedicated to augmented reality experiences.

To celebrate the store’s opening, Apple has a lineup of free music, art, and wellness sessions taking place at the store between July 28-31. Live performances and Q&As are scheduled over the weekend, and there will be a “fantastical AR realm” for visitors to experience inside the store, along with a special guest DJ set on July 28.

Architects Fletcher Priest said that The Knightsbridge Estate redevelopment will include major improvements to the tube station, as well as a new rooftop garden and restaurant.

Knightsbridge Estate is a major mixed use redevelopment at the heart of one of London’s most prestigious shopping district. Our design seeks to reinvigorate, restore and celebrate this key London city block by unlocking space for contemporary retail, offices and new apartments grouped around a sheltered open roof garden.

Public realm improvements include wider pavements along Brompton Road with a new improved entrance to Knightsbridge Underground Station. A landscaped pocket square off Hooper’s Court will be home to an additional step-free access to the tube station that brings back to life redundant London Underground infrastructure. By dedicating a significant rooftop cooling system to London Underground, the scheme will unlock its plan to increase the speed and frequency of Piccadilly Line trains.

The development will see the corner of Brompton Road and Sloane Street restored as the gateway to Knightsbridge. At the first floor cast metal arched vaults will replace the underground station which was a late addition to the corner. Further along the Brompton Road the ground floors of buildings will be restored so that individual gabled ‘houses’ are reconnected to the street.

A new 100,000sq ft office building will be created with an entrance on Hoopers Court. An oasis of calm is introduced to the heart of the development – a formal garden around which are grouped 35 new apartments. Above, there will be a rooftop restaurant masked by a series of perforated, angled shutters that are designed to act as a screen to protect the privacy of residents and angle the diners’ views towards the sunset over Harrods rooftops to the west.

Apple started recruiting staff for the store back in February.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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