Politicians Hope to Kill Plans for New Apple Megastore in Melbourne
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Apple has been working with architecture firm Foster + Partners to build a new flagship retail store in Melbourne, but Australian politicians are allegedly not happy with the plans.
According to a report from Architect’s Journal, they have called on the Victoria state parliament to abandon a motion to allow the firm to build a megastore in the city.
The state government had provided the firms with planning permission to build a new store in the city. However, the Future Melbourne Committee wants the mayor to shelve the plans.
Foster + Partners has been working on ambitious plans to build a massive Apple store in Federation Square, which is an iconic part of the city.
Under these plans, the design company wants to create a two-level pavilion that sports glass frames, metal panels, stone floors and balconies. They were detailed over Christmas.
Lawmakers and members of the public have slammed the idea, though. Not only have there been countless petitions, but the Citizens for Melbourne group has launched a campaign to kill the plans.
Although the state government has already given Foster + Partners the go-head to conduct the redesign work, opposing parties believe that the plans would not match the square’s current architecture.
The Future Melbourne Committee is calling on the government “to avoid pavilion or temple-like design that is out of context in Federation Square and poorly integrated with the square’s existing architecture.”
Speaking to Architects journal, Citizens for Melbourne secretary James Lesh revealed that the motion has so far gathered more than 850 submissions.
Ellen Sandell, member of parliament for Melbourne, is among the people calling for the plans to be scrapped. On Twitter, she said: “We have just moved a motion to revoke the planning approval for the Apple megastore at Fed Square.”
“The Labor Govt must now go back to drawing board and consult the community on alternate location for Apple, or Parliament can block their bad plan in two weeks time.”
