newcube560
Artist Rendition

We've heard a couple of reports that Apple will finally unveiling their newly renovated 5th Avenue Apple NYC store on Friday, November 4th.

Apple began work on the $6.6 million renovation back in June. Since then, the 5th Avenue Store has been surrounded by barriers and the store has remained open as the construction has continued. The redesign involves replacing the cube's 90 glass panels with only 15 larger ones. The new design is rendered artistically above.

fifth avenue cube changes

Steve Jobs, himself, had much input into this Apple Retail Store's design. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Jobs had a very hands-on role. The developer said:

“[Steve Jobs] is solely responsible for the cube,” Mr. Macklowe said. “I had different shapes and different ideas, and his cube was somewhat different than what it is now, but it’s Steve Jobs’s idea.”

Jobs has had a long fascination with the cube shape. During his time at NeXT he created the NeXTcube workstation housed in a magnesium enclosure. Apple even created a Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000, a few years after Jobs' return to Apple.

A November 4th unveiling falls in line with the original permits which estimated "early November" as a possible completion date. If the grand unveiling is indeed taking place this Friday, we expect Apple will make an announcement this week to inform the press.

Top Rated Comments

nerdo Avatar
184 months ago
The most transparent thing Apple has done in years.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hobo.hopkins Avatar
184 months ago
That was completely worth the $6.6B it costed to get it renovated. I'm serious, it looks sick. I thought it was cool before, but damn. Can you imagine? Replacing 90 glass panels with only 15?

Can't wait to check it out in person.
It was an expensive renovation, but not that expensive :P It cost 6.6 Million dollars; it didn't cost 6.6 Billion dollars.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdowns Avatar
184 months ago
Below the photo it states "Artist Rendition" :p

I wonder if Arn hired the same guy who did the 'iPhone 5' rendering. :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cougarcat Avatar
184 months ago
What "technical challenges"?

they should have used 5 panels, one for each side tbh.

In the bio, Steve mentions that they had to build their own autoclaves in china to make the glass. If they had used the technology available, the cube would have been a foot shorter.

Making 5 huge panes isn't possible with current technology.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marcusj0015 Avatar
184 months ago
What "technical challenges"?

they should have used 5 panels, one for each side tbh.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
184 months ago
Based on the artist rendition, I think I liked it better before. :( It looked amazing in person, the glass seams between the panels shimmered and refracted light, bending it into these amazing patterns- removing panels is going to reduce that effect.
One man's "shimmer" is another man's "gaudy." I have a feeling that at certain parts of the day the reflections got a little too prismatic and diffuse, and ruined the effect they wanted (which is basically, feeling like you're not indoors at all).

Personally, I would have suggested looking into colored/tinted glass -- perhaps a blue tint? Something like that would have looked more striking, and been amazing to light up at night too.
I disagree, because then you'd be stuck with "what color is YOUR Apple Store?" It would be way too early iMac, and would distract from the products.

This is mentioned in his book. This renovation was completely a pet project by Jobs. Apparently, Ron Johnson disagreed with the new design (and likely the additional unnecessary costs), but Jobs went ahead with it anyway.

I personally like the old cube better. Only Apple would redesign what's become a landmark.
That's totally Apple's M.O. Even though something is gorgeous and makes a splash (Cube store, iPhone, iMac), you redesign it to make it look even slicker (Cube redesign, iPhone4, iMac). Steve Jobs has for many years done things that certain advisors didn't want. Never underestimate the power of saying no. otherwise, Apple's products would have a much cheaper feel to them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....