It's no secret that Apple devotes a lot of attention to the design of its retail stores. From the type of wood that graces the tabletops to the design of the staircases within, nothing is overlooked.
One of Apple's most unique retail stores is its Shanghai location, notable for its impressive and elegant glass cylinder entryway. Now, AppleInsider reports that Apple has officially been granted a patent on the design.
Apple's US Patent No. 8,544,217 not only covers the design of the cylinder, but more specifically the type of glass and construction methods used to erect such a structure. Like the flagship Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York, the Shanghai cylinder is made almost entirely out of huge monolithic glass slabs, with only connecting joints fashioned out of metal.
The Chinese build is more complex, however, as the specifications required the glass pieces required be curved to form arcs. These panels were then joined to create a circle and ultimately a cylinder.
Consequently, the patent encapsulates construction advancements that were developed to ensure that the structure remained sufficiently sturdy along with methods detailing how to curve the glass panels to the exact shape needed to form a perfect cylinder.