Following a heavy snowstorm in New York City, clean up crews began clearing snow with the help of snowblowers. Sadly, one of the crews cleaning away the winter storm leavings reportedly shattered one of the fifteen glass panels that make up the Fifth Avenue Apple Store’s 32-foot glass cube.
An Apple Store employee confirmed to AppleInsider that a single pane positioned in the southeast corner of the cube was badly cracked, but said the store has remained open since the incident and will continue to operate as normal. Apple’s Fifth Ave. location is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
An Apple representative told BuzzFeed that a snowblower caused the damage, although exact details of the incident were no revealed.
The iconic glass cube – Said to be designed by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs – was unveiled in May of 2006. The location has become one of the most photographed sites in the area.
The original structure’s 90 sheets of glass were replaced five years later with a mere 15 large panes of glass. Reports at the time said the project cost approximately $6.7 million, which included removing the old unit, installation of the new design, and renovation of the surrounding area.
Apple’s Fifth Ave. landmark store has had previous run-ins with bad weather. Last May, the location’s underground store flooded after water made its way into the cube during a heavy rainstorm. The outlet was able to remain open and later, drainage issues were cited as the culprit.