Apple has previewed Apple Brompton Road, its newest store in London, located in the city’s Knightsbridge neighborhood. It has a 200-person store team that collectively speaks more than 45 languages.
A stone’s throw from Hyde Park, Apple Brompton Road features design inspiration drawn from local flora, along with a new slate of community events and seminars to help customers learn, create, and get the most out of their Apple products, according to Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People.
Special Sessions
The store opening kicks off with the global launch of “United Visions,” an augmented reality experience honoring the creative works of pioneering London poet and painter William Blake. Created for Getty Museum and brought to life through Apple technology, the purpose-built app showcases the possibilities of creativity by reimagining the seminal artist’s work.
Artists and creative technologists Tin Nguyen and Ed Cutting (Tin&Ed) used Apple’s M1 Ultra chip in the development of the experience, which features a poetic soundtrack by Grammy Award-winning record producer Just Blaze. “United Visions” can be viewed by customers in-store and by anyone around the world by downloading the “United Visions” app.
Opening weekend festivities will include a panel discussion on the creation of “United Visions” with Nguyen, Cutting, and Just Blaze, as well as a special performance and Spatial Audio listening session by London artist Nina Nesbitt. Apple Fitness+ trainers Cory Wharton-Malcolm, Jamie-Ray Hartshorne, Kim Ngo, and Jonelle Lewis will join Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of Fitness Technologies, for an in-store Q&A followed by a 3-kilometer walk and 5-kilometer run in Hyde Park.
The Apple Creative Pros will also host live illustration sessions that take inspiration from the local blooms. Following the opening sessions, the store will host its ongoing Brompton Series, which takes place on the last Thursday of every month through October and features:
° Inspirational and informative talks by thought leaders in the wellness space, including Michael James Wong, Cat Meffan, Lloyd Kempson, and Harry Jameson.
° Music workshops in connection with Apple Music’s Up Next series breaking down songs by emerging London artists using Spatial Audio; artists include Kali Claire, Olivia Dean, and Rachel Chinouriri.
The Store and Its Team
Upon entering Apple Brompton Road, visitors will be greeted by 12 towering Sicilian ficus trees that line the 7-meter floor-to-ceiling windows and entryway. The seating at the base of each planter acts as a social gathering space for visitors, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, and bringing nature directly into the store.
Visitors come through the central arcade, which mirrors the dimensions of the original Brompton Arcade built on the same precise location in 1903. The store’s Forum — where free Today at Apple sessions provide daily creative inspiration and practical skills — features a first for Apple in the UK: a mirrored ceiling that offers depth-enhancing reflections.
Visitors are invited to explore the surrounding display tables and avenues featuring the all-new lineup of iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, as well as accessories like HomePod mini and AirTag.
Sustainability
Apple says Apple Brompton Road’s terrazzo flooring is comprised of a plant-based bio resin, the first of its kind in Apple’s worldwide retail fleet. The tech giant adds that the vast space — which features a curved timber ceiling — offers ample seating where customers can relax and discover new tips and tricks to get the best from their devices.
Like all Apple facilities, Apple Brompton Road is powered by 100% renewable energy.
