Apple Store, Upper East Side has received a Special Commendation in the Historic Preservation category from the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The Bohlin Cywinski Jackson-designed retail store, located at Madison Avenue and 74th Street, is an adaptive reuse of a 1922 U.S. Mortgage & Trust building.
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and its consultant team collaborated to restore the building's general ambiance. The project included exterior restoration that required significant repair to original windows, exterior paint, stone, and grout. Interior finishes, such as the marble entry, plaster coffered ceilings, and chandeliers, were reconstructed with the help of historic photographs and blueprints.
Sensitive alterations were also made to the building's original banking hall, which now serves as the store's main sales floor. To recover the light and airy qualities of the space, partitions and mezzanines were recreated, and columns and thick bearing walls removed. The original vault room, repurposed as a private sales space, allows for a more personal customer experience.
"This project required a focus on reinterpreting and recreating the original qualities of the building," said Karl Backus, principal from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson's San Francisco office. "We're quite happy with the outcome and proud of the team's work in restoring the grandeur of the space."
