“A plan to build an Apple store at Federation Square has been shelved, after heritage authorities refused an application to demolish part of the existing square,” Clay Lucas reports for The Sydney Morning Herald. “Apple will not proceed with its plan, and the Andrews government will now review the operation of Federation Square.”
“The Koorie Heritage Trust, which includes an Aboriginal art gallery, was to make way for Apple and be relocated elsewhere in the square. It will instead remain where it is, for now,” Lucas reports. “Heritage Victoria on Friday issued a refusal to Federation Square management, which had applied to knock down the Yarra Building to make way for an ‘Apple Global Flagship Store.'”
“Heritage Victoria’s ruling found the Apple store would have been ‘visually dominant,’ and that demolition of the Yarra Building would have ‘diminished’ the public square,” Lucas reports. “The redevelopment would have added about 500 square metres of extra open space to Federation Square, and would have better linked the square to the Yarra River. National Trust chief executive Simon Ambrose said his group had not opposed development at Federation Square, but that the Apple proposal ‘fell far short’ of what was required.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Whatever. Put it somewhere else in Melbourne. It’s Federation Square’s loss.
SEE ALSO:
Heritage recommendation for Melbourne’s Federation Square jeopardizes Apple Retail Store plans – October 17, 2018
Apple’s Federation Square retail store faces further delays in Australia – August 23, 2018
Apple looks to replace ‘Pizza Hut Pagoda’ flagship store in Melbourne with new boxy design – July 20, 2018
Federation Square flagship Apple store labeled ‘Pizza Hut pagoda’ as Melbourne City Council vows to fight design – February 7, 2018
Apple reveals plans for Apple Federation Square flagship store in Melbourne, Australia – December 20, 2017
HIstory? What history? A country founded only a little over a century ago can’t possibly have much in the way of anything of “historical importance.” Build the Apple Store there.
You do realise that a “country” tends to be something else (another country/s, colonies, city states) before it was founded? Australia has been settled by Europeans since 1788 and aboriginals living on the land go back tens of thousands of years.
By your logic, Italy: a country founded 70 years ago, can’t possibly have much in the way of “historical importance”.
A continent with the worlds longest surviving continuing civilisation of at least 60,000 years. But no culture of any significance exists here, hey?
As for demolishing part of the square for a shop, I fail to see the attraction and attachment to the hodge-podge of modern architecture as it stands and Apple weren’t offering anything inspired either.
A sovereign nation has all the rights to do what it pleases. A corporation, especially a foreign one has zero. Any rights the corporation thinks it has are bestowed by that very sovereign nation.
Uh… You do know aboriginals have been living there for well over 60,000 years right?
Melbourne is actually a pretty nice city and will have a lot of 0potential sites for a new store. The probably goal in Apple’s mind is to deliver a beautifully designed store, like the original Glass Cube in New York.
Apple can certainly spend a lot less on their stores. keeping therm in shopping malls. Less cost of acquisition and very profitable revenues.
Apple does like to build something special in cities around the world. In that vein this will be Melbourne’s loss.
Well said!
Except for the wasted time and money, the refusal I think will turn out to benefit Apple; It will give Apple a chance to redesign something that does not look like an underfunded, compromised community college.
Yep, put it somewhere else. Fed square gets a lot of ferals these days. Apple dodged a bullet there.
Put it upstairs at the Flinders Street Station, there is massive amounts of room
Federation Square is a hole.
Put the Store somewhere better.
Put it somewhere off the island, they don’t deserve Apple there and considering what a crud nation Apple’s home country is speaks volumes.
Oh and watch out for those anustralian immigrants, they tend to shoot people in the new countries they visit, especially if they are from craptown.
Great of you to drop by mate! 😁
But seriously, what a shame as I loathe Federation Square but love staying in Melbourne when going Down Under.
Wonder where else in Melbourne this could become a reality?!
Both designs are ugly like polished dog turd.
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