This recently opened Apple store is in the heart of Shanghai’s Jing’an District. Generating a public space for encounters, a new circular plaza connects different walkways through several curving levels featuring vegetation and tiered seating from which to enjoy views of Jing-an Temple. Padang Light Granite stretches from the plaza and into the shop, cladding walls and floors. The actual store is within a preexisting construction under Jing’an Park, with its main entrance on the square. Through a central staircase, visitors can go from the plaza down to a bright double-height space.

An undulating wooden ceiling follows the store’s circular geometry, wrapping a central oculus with a backlit panel that simulates daylight. As night approaches, the light tones down. The plaza, the entrance to the store, and the interior stairs are aligned with the temple’s central axis, giving visitors direct views of the historical monument from inside and along every point of the way through the various spaces.