While Vox Populi may have gotten the DCist link love it’s the Georgetown Metropolitan that has the actual approved most recently rejected* designs for the new Apple store at 1229 Wisconsin Ave. Check them out:
Courtesy of ANC2E
As described in GM’s ANC round up, the approved design fits in with the 19th century buildings around it. The roofline matches the building housing Nine West and is decorated by dentil mouldings, echoing its neighbors. Hopefully the actual structure won’t be the blinding white light that the designs make them out to be. More after the jump:
Courtesy of ANC2E
As seen above, there are two millwork courses running above and below the double hung windows. You can also see how the street level is a wall of glass. Hopefully this represents a good compromise between Georgetown’s desire for a historic district and Apple’s desire for shiny surfaces.
Courtesy of ANC2E
This side elevation demonstrates the single-story-behind-two-story-facade. There will be a two story vestibule directly behind the facade, but the main part of the building will be one story. GM’s not particularly happy about a lower density design like this. The second story could serve as office or residential space. Why waste it on air?
And to those that follow zoning closely, this design might seem vaugely familiar. That’s because it’s a whole lot like the first one Apple submitted back in 2007 before they went off the deep-end:
Courtesy of ANC2E
This isn’t the final design. Already Commissioner Birch was encouraging the architects to add a border to the bottom of the glass wall. Still, this is the design concept, so it probably won’t change that much.
The design will be heard before the Old Georgetown Board on Thursday where it will probably be approved. No timetable for construction has been set (they haven’t even knocked down the old building yet, so it probably shouldn’t be expected until early 2010 at the earliest).
*UPDATE:
The Old Georgetown Board rejected the most recent designs. It’s back to the drawing board for Apple. Read GM’s post mortem here.
16 Comments
February 4, 2009 at 6:36 am
[...] These renderings were obtained from the ANC by The Georgetown Metropolitan. [...]
February 4, 2009 at 10:47 am
seriously, you make a great point. why in the hell isn’t there a second floor? why not an apartment or office up there? we’re supposed to be taking full advantage of our urbanity and density here, apple. good step in the right direction, but there’s still more that can be done.
February 4, 2009 at 10:22 pm
The Washington Post posted what I’ve been looking for for weeks — the designs that Apple submitted that didn’t get approval. Looking at the slideshow, even I knew there was no way #2 was going to pass muster — it didn’t even acknowledge that it was in a historic district. I think that one was the 5th Avenue cube design plopped in the middle of DC. #3 is gaudy as expected from Apple. Frankly, I’m glad Georgetown smacked them around a little.
February 4, 2009 at 10:51 pm
A better view of the pics are on one of their weblogs.
February 5, 2009 at 1:04 am
Apple has bent over backwards to fit their leading edge design into the backasswards requirements of the commission. They need to be approved… now.
February 5, 2009 at 7:46 am
[...] wall like in earlier proposal, it still manages to stay appley. The Georgetown Metropolitain got their hands on some of the renderings (pictured below) from ANC2E, what do you [...]
February 5, 2009 at 2:27 pm
[...] lower right in the image above) to Georgetown’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and word on the street has it that the ANC approved them. Assuming no further interference, Georgetown’s Apple store [...]
February 5, 2009 at 2:45 pm
[...] isn’t an actual second story behind the two-story facade. Even so, locals suggest the plan is likely to be approved today. If it is, the store will likely open in [...]
February 5, 2009 at 3:31 pm
[...] isn’t an actual second story behind the two-story facade. Even so, locals suggest the plan is likely to be approved today. If it is, the store will likely open in [...]
February 5, 2009 at 3:58 pm
[...] isn’t an actual second story behind the two-story facade. Even so, locals suggest the plan is likely to be approved today. If it is, the store will likely open in [...]
February 5, 2009 at 6:16 pm
[...] ordinal programme behindhand the two-story facade. Even so, locals declare the organisation is probable to be authorised today. If it is, the accumulation module probable unstoppered in [...]
February 5, 2009 at 8:35 pm
[...] Board rejected Apple’s most recent design concept. Apparently they don’t read a certain neighborhood blog that predicted: The design will be heard before the Old Georgetown Board on Thursday where it will [...]
February 7, 2009 at 2:29 am
It’s not about zoning. It’s a plot by that interfering schemer, Bill Gates.
February 8, 2009 at 9:28 pm
[...] there isn’t an actual second story behind the two-story facade. Even so, locals suggest the plan is likely to be approved today. If it is, the store will likely open in [...]
February 11, 2009 at 4:53 am
[...] isn’t an actual second story behind the two-story facade. Even so, locals suggest the plan is likely to be approved today. If it is, the store will likely open in [...]
March 14, 2009 at 7:21 am
I have to say, I could not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my IMHO, which could be wrong.
p.s. You have an awesome template for your blog. Where did you find it?