Apple Cube Damaged

John Hill
27. January 2014
Photo: John Hill/World-Architects

Normally a piece of glass damaged by a snow blower during a winter storm would not be newsworthy, except when valued at close to half-a-million dollars. Such is 9to5Mac's speculation when the Apple Cube at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in Manhattan shattered last week, based on the $6.7 million tab to re-skin the cube from 15 panes per side to 3 massive ones approximately 10'x32' (3x9.75 meters).

Built in 2006 per a design by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the above-grade entrance cube to the below-grade store was renovated in 2011, simplifying the design in favor of fewer panes of thick, laminated glass. Whatever the cost in replacing the damaged glass (a small price to pay for a company with over $100 billion in cash), the tempered safety glass did its job well enough that the store stayed open afterwards – 24 hours a day, as always.

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