The Apple Via del Corso flagship store will open in a historic building renovated by Foster + Partners.
Apple is preparing to open a flagship store in the center of Rome. The new retail space in one of the most prestigious locations in the Italian capital will be among the key Apple stores in the world.
The flagship store, which will be called "Apple Via del Corso" (without the word "Store"), will be located in Palazzo Marignoli, approximately in the middle of the shopping street, within walking distance of the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. To date, the historic building has been completely renovated by the British architectural firm Foster + Partners, which was responsible for the design project for Apple's flagship in Milan.
According to the presented concept, the retail space will be characterized by high arches, large light showcases and marble finishes. All works on the reconstruction of the building were carried out after agreement with the city authorities.
With the launch of a monostore in the historic center of Rome, Apple will close its store in the RomaEst shopping center, but will retain two other outlets - in the Porta di Roma and Euroma2 malls. The employees of the downsized store will be relocated to a new location in the heart of Rome, with an increase of 120 employees.
The new flagship will not only sell Apple products and provide services. The outlet will be the next cultural space for the tech giant, which will host themed workshops and music events in the store, similar to those in Piazza Liberty in Milan.
“With the new store, we will relocate our talented teams and activities from the RomaEst store to downtown Rome, where we will significantly increase our service capacity and offer free first-class sessions through the Today at Apple program,” commented Deirdre O’Brien, Sr. Vice President, Retail + People, Apple.
To date, the Italian market remains among the key ones for Apple in Europe. Over the past four years, the number of employees of the corporation has grown in the country by more than 50% and reached 2100. It is expected that the store on Via del Corso will be among the most significant for Apple, along with flagships in Washington, Paris and London.