My Visit to the New Apple Store on Ste-Catherine in Montreal
On a snowy, rather grey day, lacking luminosity, I paid a visit to the new Apple Store on Ste-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal. Here are a few observations.
It feels so different, much warmer, more welcoming. I took a few images with my aging iPhone 15 Pro Max so you could get a sense of the interior and exterior design.
I think Apple's commissioned architects did a great job restoring the building. There's a strong sense of humility and honesty in the material choices. The wooden ceiling helps keep the sound level acceptable, toned down a bit. Apparently, Apple chose local materials.
The windows are tall, with a small portion at the top embossed with a pattern that adds a nice mid-century touch to the look. The lighting is just right, nothing too intense, helping keep the calmness of the design.
We didn't get a tree or other vegetation touches, sadly. It would have made the place feel even more "organic". This is not, to my knowledge, an Apple flagship store. Maybe the designers felt the place didn't have enough space. Also strange, since this is a three-story building, I was expecting a second level, but apparently, there was nothing accessible to the public. Hence, we lost the iconic and frosty stairs from the old store. Again, maybe to keep as much space as possible for the customers and the products. You can get a quick video of the store, right here, on my blog.
The place looks less busy, too, from a product display perspective. Accessories are well organized on a few stations along the store's exterior walls, while devices are on the classic wood tables, symmetrically placed in the store's main area.
It's the end of an era, that's for sure. Or the beginning of a new one. The old store is about to disappear from view in the city. The store was smaller, colder and a glimpse of Apple Store ideal, more than fifteen years ago. This is where I bought my first iPhone. And my first iPad. And my first Apple Watch. That store reminds me of Steve Jobs' era. The new one is more about Tim Cook's era. What comes next is up to anyone to guess.
