Apple Stores, those atom bomb-lit, alabaster opium dens of consumer electronics — they are everywhere. From suburban Virginia to Paris, Apple’s retail tentacles are wrapped around our thigh, swinging iPads back and forth. Let’s explore them all at warp speed.
The Apple Storefronts project by Thomas Park collects all of them, like an enormous board of pinned, brushed aluminium butterflies. You’ll notice they have a lot in common! With some exceptions (particularly the wonderful setups Apple stuffs into old European architecture), the retail spots are extremely bright, white, clad in glass and full of Apple products. The uniformity is incredible. And no matter where you go on the globe, the all powerful Apple logo stares at you, like some rich, judgmental god. But hey, it’s a great place to stop and check your Facebook on the go — there’s a reason people are mesmerised by these stores, even when they plan on buying nothing at all. Retail hypnosis. Walk toward the light. [Apple Storefronts]