Apple Store
The main design focus of the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago was to match the company’s look and feel of modern, artistic innovation. The building’s exterior walls are made of glass, giving it the appearance that the roof is floating. Carefully constructed to cascade down a public staircase, the Apple Store descends toward the Chicago River. The 22,000-square-foot retail space promotes creativity and gives customers a place to shop and take in a 360 view of the surrounding city.
GRAEF’s steel detailing team was responsible for developing the structural steel shop drawings for steel fabrication. The team worked closely with the fabricator, erector and general contractor on the project to create efficient timelines for the construction of the building. A unique challenge for the detailers was the cantilever and shape of the roof that gives it the appearance of an Apple iPad.