The long-guarded secret that is Apple Orchard Road will finally open its doors to the public this Saturday at 10am.
For the longest time, everyone has been speculating about when it will open, and after much teasing, the public can finally catch a glimpse from the outside of its massive glass storefront.
Apple Orchard Road Is Finally Here
Come Saturday, Apple Orchard Road will join the nearly 500 Apple stores worldwide to welcome more than a million visitors a day.
While it may be a newcomer as a store, the staff running it from Day 1 will be anything but.
25% of the 237 employees who will be opening Apple Orchard Road are Apple employees who transitioned from their call centers or other parts of the company. This means that the team is the most seasoned to have ever opened an Apple store in a new country.
So you can be sure that there are highly-trained experts in Apple products who are ready to answer deep technical questions, or just help you discover a new creative passion.
As for the store itself, the first thing you will be greeted by is the massive glass facade – 36.576m (120 feet) long and 14m (46 feet) tall.
Having painstakingly made the glass panels as clear as possible, their sole aim is to not make it seem like a barrier that keeps people out.
This also presented an opportunity to create a 7.62m (25 foot) canopy to shelter visitors from the tropical sunlight and also the rain.
Walking into the store, you will also be greeted with trees on each floor of the store which Apple calls “The Grove”.
Speaking of floors, the 1st and 2nd floor of the store is connected by two curved Castania stone staircases at either side of the store which draws inspiration from Apple Park.
The ground floor is where you expect the main store to be.
Here, you can try each and every product Apple has today to your heart’s content. Payment terminals are cleverly hidden within the display tables, so you will only see them magically appear when you are ready for a purchase.
Today At Apple Comes To Singapore
Up the stairs is where you will find “The Forum”, a vast open mezzanine level with seats and tables scattered around with potted trees at the side.
This is where the Today at Apple program will be conducted, and on days where there isn’t an activity, visitors can just chill out there.
Today at Apple will be bringing more than 60 new (and free) hands-on sessions to the store, each centred around topics that visitors are passionate about. Some of the more popular topics mentioned include photography, and art and design; which will be led by store staff as well as the Red Dot Heroes.
Also tucked away in the corner is a place they call “The Boardroom”.
This is where partners (and potential partners) can set up a meeting with Apple to discuss opportunities they can work together on.
At the opening of the Apple Dubai Mall, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail Angela Ahrendts mentioned that the company sees their stores as today’s version of a town hall.
“We view our stores as a modern-day town square, where visitors come to shop, be inspired, learn or connect with others in their community.”
This is evident when you walk into any Apple Store in the world, because more than just a showroom, it’s an experience you can partake in.
You can chat with fellow Apple enthusiasts, gain in depth knowledge from in-store experts, and learn how to effectively utilise your new purchase through workshops by professionals using the very same equipment.
Singaporeans will soon have an Apple Store to call their own soon, and you can be sure the Apple faithful will be crowding at its doors on opening day.
Apple Orchard Road
270 Orchard Road
Singapore, 238857
Tel: 1800 699 2824
Opening hours: (from Saturday 27 May)
Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
