Apple’s new Vienna Store is an Homage to the Wiener Werkstätte
Today Apple unveiled the first Retail Store in Austria. It’s located on Kärntner Straße, Vienna’s most famous shopping street.
„Ideen haben eine neue Werkstätte“ is written on the storefront which translates to “Ideas have a new Workshop”.
The glass walls, as well as the Apple logo, are decorated with black and white patterns, that look a little odd, old and kind of futura-esque. But actually, it’s an ingenious homage to the “Wiener Werkstätte”.
The Wiener Werkstätte (engl.: Vienna Workshop), established in 1903 by Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann, was a production community of visual artists in Vienna, Austria bringing together architects, artists and designers working in ceramics, fashion, silver, furniture and the graphic arts. It is regarded as a pioneer of modern design — Wikipedia
Apple couldn’t have chosen this theme better. It’s rooted in art history and highlights the cultural background of Vienna. And it’s a not so subtle hint at Apple’s intentions of bringing arts and technology together. There’s no denying that Apple doesn’t like to be linked to art.
„We’re not just a tech company, even though we invent some of the highest technology products in the world. It’s the marriage of that plus the humanities and the liberal arts that distinguishes Apple.“ — Steve Jobs
The attention to detail is lovely: Apples has adopted the bold and precise lines, patterns and geometric forms. Even typographical elements like the Æ.
I like how Apple incorporated the style of the Wiener Werkstätte into the unveiling of the store. Hopefully these elements are also present on the inside:
