Ice, ice baby: Apple’s Chicago flagship store doesn’t like winter weather

Apple’s Chicago flagship store in Chicago, Apple Michigan Avenue, has been praised for its incredible design, including glass walls, steel columns, and a MacBook-shaped roof. But apparently it wasn’t designed for winter in the Windy City.

There are no gutters to catch falling snow or ice. Nor is the roof sloping, so icicles that do form aren’t dangling from 20 some feet overhead.

According to Chicago blogger Matt Maldre – as noted by PYMNTS — the fancy building design, while seemingly in service of Apple’s new “town square” plan, seems to have forgotten what town it was actually being built for. “Maybe next time Apple will consider the actual community where their stores are built,” Maldre writes. “Y’know, basic things like in Chicago, the weather gets cold. It snows. The snow falls off the roof. Don’t design a slopping roof where the snow can’t be caught or guttered off somewhere.”

Apple Michigan Avenue adds new access to the riverfront from Pioneer Court. The two are linked by granite staircases on both sides of the transparent store, opening up views from the plaza to the river and beyond. Apple says it worked closely with the city of Chicago and referenced historical records to develop a store design specifically for the site on which it sits.

Well, except for the ice and snow.