Apple's new Pallazo store in Rome is a work of art

The front of a three storey building with large windows on the street level, a balcony in the middle of the building on the second level which is surrounded by rows of windows on the other levels.

(Image credit: press)

last updated 7 October 2022

Apple's new Rome store, created in partnership with Foster + Partners in the Palazzo Marignoli, is the largest of all 118 Apple stores in Europe. Despite its size, the design team has subtly transformed this 17th century palace into a detail-oriented and atmospheric boutique, where original features provide a counterpoint to the future-facing technology on display.

The building, originally constructed in 1873 by architect Salvatore Bianchi and a second renovation by architect Giulio Podesti, was once home to Marquis Filippo Marignoli and housed Caffè Aragno, one of Rome’s most notable gathering places in its day frequented by artists, writers and actors.

An olden day photo of a store with decorated wooden and glass counters in front of glass cabinets with products on rows of shelves inside them. — Palazzo Marignoli was originally constructed in 1873

Now, technologists and modern-day creatives can be added to the list. On the upper floor, a new space has been created in the original ballroom of the Marquis’s palazzo, which will be home to the Today at Apple programming. Elsewhere, a courtyard filled with native Camphora trees provides space to unwind outside. The design ethos – consistent with many other Foster + Partners Apple stores – aims to create a spaces of learning, inspiration and enjoyment, rather than just places of transaction.

The defining feature of the Palazzo Marignoli store is its respectful restoration. As with many previous restoration projects undertaken by the brand – Champs-Élysées in Paris, Regent Street in London and Carnegie Library in Washington – Apple tapped a team of local restorers to help preserve original features. Notable restoration works in the Rome store include several pieces of art showcased in Caffè Aragno, including multiple graffiti panels created by Italian painter Afro Basaldella in 1950. The teams were also able to revive and integrate Fabio Cipolla’s Dawn and Ettore Ballerini’s Dusk – two large ceiling paintings that date back to the early 1900s.

A team of conservators worked thousands of hours to restore the geometrically patterned, hand-painted ceiling above the Genius Bar.

Visitors will also find locally sourced Carrara marble throughout, including a monumental staircase dating back to 1888, alongside contemporary interventions like great glass windows that flood the main lobby with light. Elsewhere, the minimalist-leaning Apple aesthetic gives way to an intricately detailed, painstakingly restored geometric ceiling – which, with its technological precision, is the perfect accompaniment to the Genius Bar.

Two people walking down a white decorated staircase with a large window and a decorated roof above it.

An old religious type painting in a white frame.

Two people walking down a white hallway with a white marble floor, floor lights and a high rounded roof.

A wall with panels of paintings with lights above them.

A white room with rows of wooden tables with computers on them, large windows, a staircase and a high pressed roof.

INFORMATION

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Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.

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