“In the pictures, it looks lovely. Young urbanites mingle around cafe tables outside a glass facade running almost the whole width of a park, topped off with a sliver of roof that tapers at the edges like the lid of a MacBook Air computer,” Richard Orange reports for The Guardian. “Which modern capital would not scream to have this Foster + Partners-designed Apple store in pride of place in its city centre?”
“Well, Stockholm, apparently. On the day it took power earlier this month, the Swedish capital’s new government announced that it would block the project in Kungsträdgården park,” Orange reports. “‘It is welcome that Apple wants to establish itself in the city,’ says Erik Slottner, the Christian Democrat politician who has led political opposition to the building. ‘But Kungsträdgården is the wrong place.'”
“To many in the city, it seems astonishing that the company could ever have thought Kungsträdgården – the King’s Garden – an appropriate place for a store, however outstanding its design,” Orange reports. “Opposition came not only from protesters and conservationists, but from official bodies such as the city’s official Beauty Council. There were around 1,800 responses to the city’s consultation on the project. Almost all of them were negative.”
I agree some places are inappropriate for store but what baffles me as MDN points out is that they think TGI Fridays is so much better? I think Apple bought the land, maybe they can sell it to Burger King ? it’s called King’s Garden after all…
Norway’s denial of Apple wish to be associated with a king’s place will serve Apple well in the future during its inevitable decline, saving it from ridicule. There are other excellent and appropriate places to tout its princely wealth.
MDN: No, the current occupant is not OK. This is not a question of Apple replacing TGIF. TGIF was being removed regardless. The Government was initially in favor of Apple’s proposal. But they solicited citizens opinion, and the opinion was overwhelming against. Kungsträdgården is a lovely park and the citizens wanted to return it to a park.
I believe their government is being held hostage and they have become sympathetic to their captor’s wishes. I have seen this syndrome before.
Spit out my coffee on that one! Well done!
I agree some places are inappropriate for store but what baffles me as MDN points out is that they think TGI Fridays is so much better? I think Apple bought the land, maybe they can sell it to Burger King ? it’s called King’s Garden after all…
Norway’s denial of Apple wish to be associated with a king’s place will serve Apple well in the future during its inevitable decline, saving it from ridicule. There are other excellent and appropriate places to tout its princely wealth.
… that “artists” are very poor when it comes to geography.
Not too fast anyway… Oslo….?
Ha. Beat me to it. Norway is to the left a few.
MDN: No, the current occupant is not OK. This is not a question of Apple replacing TGIF. TGIF was being removed regardless. The Government was initially in favor of Apple’s proposal. But they solicited citizens opinion, and the opinion was overwhelming against. Kungsträdgården is a lovely park and the citizens wanted to return it to a park.
Sweden! Hey, artists can make mistakes, right?
No especially if an American artist.