Patently Apple reports that Apple has been granted a patent for the design of its iconic glass cube at its flagship Fifth Avenue store.
Apple orginally applied for the patent on October 15, 2012 and credits eight inventors including former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple has also applied for a trademark related to the store’s design, which is still pending.
The Apple Fifth Avenue store – designed by architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson – opened on May 19, 2006. The structure was overhauled in 2011, and currently uses 15 panes of glass in place of the 90 used in the original construction. The renovation also did away with the hardware that originally held the glass cube together, giving it a more attractive, seamless look.
The Fifth Avenue location has not been without its own set of unique problems.
January 2014 saw a heavy snowstorm hit New York City, and one of the crews cleaning away the winter storm leavings shattered one of the fifteen glass panels that make up the store’s glass cube. The store was able to remain open while repairs were made.
In May 2013, the store was flooded during heavy rains. The flooding was reportedly caused by a leak in the store’s roof. ”It’s because of the construction they did last year on the roof,” a worker said. “They didn’t do it right. There are large flat stones up there [that you walk across as you go into the store]. And with the heavy rain this morning, [the water] came through.”
