Oh Paris

Paris gets its first Apple Store in the Carrousel du Louvre.  While work is still on-going for the Louvre Apple Store rumors already emerge that the US multinational is planning a second shop in the Paris Opéra area close to the famous boulevard Haussmann.

An Apple Store Close To Opéra Granier

The main difference between the two Paris Apple Stores will be their size. The Opéra Apple store will have a surface of 1200 square meters (over 10 000 square feet) while the Louvre store wil be 700 square meters (over 6000 sqaure feet).

The Louvre Apple Store, which is expected to open towards the end of 2009, is located in a historic building constructed in 1865 that formerly housed a bank. The retail space will be divided over three levels: a ground floor, a basement and a mezzanine, all levels have a 7 meters high ceiling. Architect Jean-Jacques Ory, know for the restoration of the Galeries Lafayette in 2007, is responsible for the design. The façade will feature large windows in the shape of arches.

With more than 250 Apple stores around the world (including 211 in the U.S.), it took the electronics maker until March 2007, with the Rome Apple Store, before opening a first retail outlet in Europe. The development of its European retail network has been kept under wraps as long as possible, and the  computer giant has confirmed only in July the opening of the store at the Carrousel du Louvre, whose opening is expected at the end of the year.

The work of the Apple Store Opera started in June this year and should be completed in early 2010 for an opening in March.