Apple’s first retail location in Malaysia has opened to the public. The Foster + Partners store, located in Kuala Lumpur’s new Tun Razak Exchange development, is notable for the illuminated glass dome it has by way of a roof.
The dome, which is somewhere between a circle and a square, is 27m in diameter – wide enough for it to create a shaded walkway around the shop’s exterior.
A series of angled fins emerge from the façade to reduce solar radiation, giving the illusion that the roof is solid at its lower levels and gradually becomes more permeable as it rises to a communal garden.
The structure combines natural stone walls, stainless-steel columns, terrazzo floors and a timber ceiling. There is also a sculptural quartz and glass staircase and video wall.
Stefan Behling, Foster + Partners’ head of studio, said: “The project captures the vitality of the city, with a layered roof of stacked solar shading that appears to float above the landscape.
“Galleries and walkways provide spectacular views of the natural surroundings and offer unexpected lines of sight through the store at different levels.”
