:banana:
OK guys, I'll start with a discussion....
What is everyone's favorite London borough?
I can reliably say that you are clearly an intelligent and sensitive individual with an aware personality and sense of modesty and self doubt. hno:Oh, and while I think of it I had lunch at the Tate Modern today and I can reliably say that 99% of the contents are total shite. I assume we are making it bigger so we can find space for more shite.
Some of the shite is fun though I'll give it that and I like the big turbine hall exhibits. But to my dying day I am sure I will never understand how a piece of rusty metal is art though. I think the best part of Tate Modern is walking round loudly calling everyting shite.
ThinkQ
Apple will open its 300th retail store this Saturday and the Mac maker says it will be its biggest and best.
The existing Apple Store in Regent's Street is already the outfit's busiest temple of consumerism and is reputedly the most profitable retail space in the whole of the capital.
Now the Cupertino company is hoping to have the same impact on London's historic Covent Garden with the largest Apple Store in the world, a massive three-story building with a skylight-covered central atrium and all of the usual fancy glass staircases and chic design touches.
Judging from the pictures posted on Tech Radar, the company has let the existing building shine through with modern display units complimenting the bare brick walls and Victorian architectural flourishes.
The new store, which opens its doors for the first time this Saturday (August 7th) will employ 300 people and have 56 Macs, 30 iPads, 40 iPods and 30 iPhones on display for sticky-fingered punters to prod.
In addition to the now familiar workshops and Genius Bar, Apple said, "For the first time in the UK, local companies can make an appointment in the Apple Store Covent Garden's Briefing Room for free business workshops or to get help finding the right technology solutions to meet their business needs."
Evening Standard
Apple was today putting the finishing touches to a historic building in Covent Garden that is expected to become London’s most profitable shop when it opens on Saturday.
The store, Apple’s 300th and the biggest it has constructed, is built around a large courtyard covered by a glass roof. Originally built so horses could make deliveries easily to the building, the arches surrounding the courtyard have been painstakingly restored by Apple.
“We want to be the gold standard of retail,” said Ron Johnson, senior vice-president of retail operations at Apple, “and this is our best store yet.”
Last year the flagship Apple store in Regent Street was named as the most profitable per square foot in the capital. Takings soared to £60million a year, or £2,000 per square foot - more than double the estimated sum made by Harrods. The new store could eclipse that.
“We are located on the most popular entrance to Covent Garden, and we have an entire building - we hope we have captured the soul of the area with the store,” said Mr Johnson.
He also acknowledged the huge success of the Regent Street store.
“The store that has taught us most was Regent Street, and it worked, and was so busy and we have to expand it by 50% after a year. It is our highest traffic store in the world, we get more people than in our fifth avenue store in New York.”
The three-floor Covent Garden store, on the edge of the piazza, is larger than Regent Street and expected to attract huge numbers of tourists passing through. Staff will roam the floors of the store with iPods that double as mobile checkouts, allowing people to buy anywhere within the building.
As well as the store, the building is expected to contain offices for Apple staff, and will also be used for exhibitions and even music performances, along with a room that can be used by schoolchildren and other groups.
The computer firm also pledged the new store would ease stock shortages of its most popular products - iPhone 4s and iPads are sold out in many stores across the capital. “Some of our products have been a little difficult to get hold of lately - we will have more iPads and iPhone 4s here than anywhere else in the world when we launch on saturday,” said Mr Johnson.