Ahead of the May 11th grand opening of Apple’s newest store at Washington, D.C.’s Carnegie Library, Tim Cook and newly appointed Retail + People leader Deirdre O’Brien chatted with The Washington Post about Apple’s goals for the store and what the landmark project represents for the future. As Apple grows its portfolio of services and education opportunities through Today at Apple, the restored library is expected to play a significant role in furthering the company’s mission.
Apple Carnegie Library is Apple’s “most historic, ambitious restoration by far, in the world,” Cook told The Washington Post. Apple’s plans to rehabilitate the stately building date back to 2016 and may have cost more than $30 million to complete. “We should probably come up with a name other than ‘store,’ because it’s more of a place for the community to use in a much broader way,” Cook added.
Since 2015, new Apple Stores have been designed around promoting creativity and learning from others. While locations in the United States are often housed in modern structures with contemporary architecture, the same creative values anchor the Beaux-Arts Apple Carnegie Library. Cook connected the project to the founding principles outlined by Steve Jobs:
You think about where the company started from and Steve and the team at the time were very focused on providing people tools that allowed them to do incredible things.
Deirdre O’Brien echoed the sentiment, noting that programs like Today at Apple add value for customers over contributing to Apple’s revenue stream:
We created Today at Apple to take our customers further, deepen their relationship with their product,” she said. “We didn’t necessarily create it with the idea of driving more revenue. It’s part of the experience of visiting our store.
The launch campaign for Apple Carnegie Library is one of the most comprehensive in Today at Apple’s history, with six weeks of sessions from 40 creators comprising the “StoryMakers Festival.” The special events will be the first of many to come at Mount Vernon Square, where Apple will regularly partner with local talent.
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