Apple Inc.'s CEO Tim Cook next to tech representatives from China at Apple store. (Photo : Reuters)
Set to open on Jan. 24, Apple Inc.'s new store in Hangzhou was described by Australia's Gizmodo website as a "masterpiece" on Friday.
Designed by the same architecture firm responsible for the technology giant's Cupertino, California, headquarters, the store's interior facades consist of a calligraphy mural by Chinese calligraphy artist Wang Dongling.
The foundation of Wang's art piece is a 2,000-year-old poem titled "Praising West Lake in the Rain," and it celebrates Hangzhou, which is the provincial capital of East China's Zhejiang Province. The store is located in a downtown area adjacent to the West Lake area of the coastal province.
The opening of mainland China's 14th Apple retail outlet will occur during a significant period for the Californian corporation, which is enjoying robust growth in the Eastern nation.
According to Apple's vice president of retail real estate and development, Bob Bridger, the current period represents the most intensive stage of growth for Apple since the opening of its inaugural China-based store seven years ago.
The proof of Bridger's statement is found in the data, as an early January report indicates that the high level of demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets resulted in a historic occurrence, in which the Chinese market exceeded the sales figures of the U.S.
Up to 35 percent of iPhone shipments during the final quarter of 2014 landed in China's market, while a Shanghai Apple store now ranks as the world's busiest, as it serves more than 25,000 customers on a daily basis.
After Saturday's launch, two additional stores will open prior to Feb. 19 this year; however, their locations remain unknown at the time of publishing.
