New world. Apple offers the Champs-Élysées for its largest Apple Store in France

Combine technology and heritage. This is the ambition of the Apple brand that has chosen to settle in a sumptuous Haussmann building, at 114 Avenue Champs-Elysees in Paris, for its 20th place of sale in the hexagon which is inaugurated Sunday, September 18.

In more than 1,400 square meters on three floors, this building once housed the aviator Santos Dumont (a photo displayed in the store shows this pioneer aviation land landing his zeppelin on the sidewalk of the Champs-Elysees, just in front of his house , in 1903).

new #AppleStore Champs-Elysées: a building from 1893, occupied by the aviator Santos Dumont, completely renovated, 100% renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, etc. Heritage & modernity. pic.twitter.com/5Uobyer7Rf

– Jérôme Colombain (@JeromeColombain) November 15, 2018

The building has been renovated at great expense by the architectural firm Foster & Partners. The essentials have been preserved (entrance porch, large oak staircase, moldings and busts) but completely transformed and modernized. Apple ensures that the store operates 100% renewable energy, including solar panels on the roof and a rainwater recovery system for sanitary.

Next to the testimonials of the past, hypermodern rooms give pride of place to Apple brand products with some specificities that do not exist in any other Apple, such as a "Hermes Room", a room dedicated to the Apple Watch connected watch. in its Hermès version.

This new Apple Store, the largest in France, is part of Apple's very particular strategy in terms of distribution. It's about creating luxurious places, to make the brand shine and to offer all kinds of activities around Apple products: animations on the theme of music or graphic arts, training in computer tools for the general public (by example, code courses for young people), sessions for business customers and of course after-sales service with the "genius" (Apple technicians).

This new Apple Store is part of the vision of founder Steve Jobs who was literally obsessed with the "beautiful" and was ambitious to make his products and stores real works of art.