Technology brand Apple has opened its first store in Kuala Lumpur in an underground shop topped with a dome, designed by UK studio Foster + Partners.
Named Apple The Exchange TRX, the Apple Store is set alongside a shopping centre and designed as a transition space between the mall and a surrounding park.
Apple The Exchange TRX is topped by a square dome
Foster + Partners has topped the building with a domed roof above a glass wall, which is the only part of the store visible from ground level.
The square-based dome is designed to appear like a traditional, rounded dome from certain angles and is covered in louvres to protect the store from the sun.
The subterranean store is arranged around a central atrium
"Designed as a glazed dome, the 26.5 by 26.5-metre roof transitions seamlessly between square and round geometries from the base to the top," said the studio. "Responding to Malaysia's tropical climate, it is shaded by a series of fins that are carefully angled to control solar radiation," it continued.
"The roof appears to be solid at the lower levels, becoming more permeable as visitors rise through the store."
The store sits alongside a park
Below the dome, the subterranean store is arranged around a large open atrium, which is surrounded by a viewing gallery.
A display space for the brand's products and demonstrations is located within it, while further spaces for product display sit on the floor below. The floors are connected by a quar...