Like many stores in the LA area, the Beverly Center store attracts its share of celebrities.

The intersection of W. 6th St. and N. Lamar Ave. is under serious consideration for a future Apple store.

On the surveillance video released by police (below), the employee is already outside the open rear door when clip begins, and slowly backs up as the suspect comes inside with a black handgun held to her face. Once inside, at one point the employee puts her palms up, as if asking the gunman not to hurt her. Within just 12 seconds the gunman says something to the employee, and then takes her off-camera through a doorway.

In a second video clip, the gunman runs back through that same interior door, and out through the back exit door. The video shows that once beyond the door, he turns left, which would lead to a stairway at the end of the utility hallway. In turn, that stairway might lead to the underground parking garage.

According to the surveillance video, the entire incident took just one minute and 54 seconds.

Apple spokesperson Steve Dowling told The Washington Post, “We are shocked by this senseless act of violence and our thoughts are with this co-worker and her family. We’re working with police to catch the person who committed this act.”

The store is located in a small shopping development in the up-scale community of Clarendon, an unincorporated area of Arlington County across the Potomac River from Washington (DC), and just several blocks from Arlington National Cemetery. The development includes office space, apartments on the second level, adjacent townhomes, and a large under-building parking garage.

The rear door of the 6,309 square-foot Apple store faces onto a long interior hallway that connects all retailers in that section of the development. This utility hallway is used by delivery personnel when carting in products, and by store employees when taking out trash. The hallway has just one exterior door, facing into a walkway that connects the interior of the development and the townhomes to the east. The other end of the hallway ends in a stairway into other levels of the development.

Apple stores are designed and constructed with certain security features, including for the rear door. Most obviously, the doors have two security viewers, or “peepholes,” installed at two heights to provide a 120º-wide view of the outside. A doorbell button allows delivery personnel to signal they are outside.

The door itself is designed and specified to provide substantial protection against forced entry, yet meet local life safety regulations that require it be available as an emergency exit. The outer side of the door has no door handle or lock keyway.

There are also other security features at the stores, including alarms and video surveillance. Police said they are examining surveillance tapes for any view of the incident.

In the video below, the suspect comes into the store through the back door, confronts the female Apple store employee, and points a gun to her head. The two disappear through the left doorway, into another room.

In the video below, the suspect escapes through the rear door after shooting the employee, and turns left into the hallway.

Read the Arlington County Police press release.

The rear door of the Clarendon Apple store is indicated by the red area. The door faces onto a long interior hallway (in yellow) used for deliveries to the five stores in this section of the shopping development. The hallway ends at a stairway (left) and opens onto a walkway (right), which runs through the complex and out onto townhomes and North Danville Avenue (red asterisk).

Chen is in the design industry, specializing in commercial and exterior work, including malls and shopping centers. He lives in Hangzhou, about 110 miles southwest of Shanghai on the west coast of China.

Other entries in the store design contest show admirable imagination, including roof-top gardens, Apple-shaped building elements, and glass designs that resembled the Fifth Avenue (NYC) cube. Some of the designs were remarkably detailed, even including Genius Bar stools and other interior features.

Congratulations to Chen, and thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and whose designs provide insights into how Apple’s own architecture could evolve to reveal new perspectives.

View the full album of entries to see what other designers created, and to see more of Chen’s renderings.

Looking northwest, the design presents an Apple logo on the edge of an up-sweeping wall of stainless steel. The curving walls reduce the mass and weight of the two façades. (by Chen Shi Jun)

The back of the store has an unusual design for an Apple store--a parking lot. Water fountains and a tall sign pedestal complete the W. North Ave. side of the building. (by Chen Shi Jun)

View southwest across Halsted St., showing the upward sweeping wall, the glass storefront and the sign pedestal. (by Chen Shi Jun)

This view shows the curve and two-level slice of glass about 8-feet wide through the middle of the store. (by Chen Shi Jun)

Here is the training group sitting next to the sign, “Workshops in progress.” Steps away, stanchions delineated the line for persons who arrived to buy a new iPhone 3G-S.

[via iPhone 3G-S]

This video spans about four minutes, while the city street sweeper and motorists pass by the store. Inside, the employees are preparing the display tables for the new iPhone 3G-S. It’s sped-up by 8 times. If you must, here’s a short video of the pulsing logos in real-time.

When I arrived at 6:30 p.m., a sign vendor had just removed the old iPhone 3G-S lettering off the right-side display window, and was putting up the new interior signage. The right window consists of a scrim with black lettering that had to be hand attached from a long roll of paper–it was a long, careful process of moving the adhesive letters from the paper backing to the scrim.

The side window display was even more troublesome, since it has extremely limited access. In this case, the graphic was printed on fabric, attachable using Velcro. It took almost 90 minutes for the crew to take down the old graphic, and carefully install the new one–twice–to insure it was centered and smooth. By any measure, the installation confirmed Apple’s continued demand for perfection.

The Palo Alto line formed very slowly with temperatures in the upper 50s under clear skies. The sidewalks were crowded with passersby from scores of nearby restaurants, but about 11 p.m. it became quiet. By then, there were just 10 persons in line, and a handful more joined the line through 5 a.m., when more arrived, one-by-one.

Taylor had rigged a power connection from the city’s tree lighting system, using a ladder provided by the Apple store. However, the lights didn’t come on until after sunset, or about 9 p.m. By then, Taylor had assembled his TV tuner dongle for his laptop, and began watching CSI. However, by about 11 p.m., his 33-hour stay in front of the store caught up with him, and he fell asleep for about four hours.

The Michael’s Gelato store across the street must have been paying the guitarist by the hour, because even after other restaurants closed, he was playing loud music until past midnight. Finally, after the last employees started dancing, the music stopped and the entire downtown was quiet.

Overnight about eight employees worked to take down the existing iPhone displays, and install the new models. That meant removing all the standards, placards, acrylics, USB and alarm connections. Working from sheafs of instructions, the employees then began the tedious process laying out the location of each iPhone stand using a tape measure and masking tape.

Next, new acrylic blocks were unboxed and unwrapped, iPhones were unboxed and connected to a 13-inch laptop, five or six at a time. The laptops were running iTunes, and a synch was then performed to install all the demonstration applications and settings.

New wall graphics on the right side of the store were installed. New table posters were set up. In all, about 45 new iPhone display models were placed and configured. By 1 a.m. several employees left, leaving about four to work overnight. There was no black curtain over the windows at the store, which last year prevented any view of the new product preparation and set-up.

I was told that a Fed-Ex truck delivered pallets of iPhones earlier on Thursday.

During the night, I saw employees moving pallets of iPhones into the store from an off-site storage area. Later, I saw boxes of iPhones being wheeled into the store on carts, and over to the Genius Bar. I counted two carts of 30 boxes, each with 10 iPhones, giving a count of at least 600 handsets for purchase by customers.

By 4 a.m. a single window cleaner arrived to completely erase the remnants of the old, right window display lettering that announced the iPhone 3G-S.

Tech analyst Larry Magid showed up about 6 a.m. to report on the event, and a lone videographer was there to record the crowd. KCBS radio news reporter Mike Colgan arrived to interview Taylor live for the 6 a.m. broadcast.

By the 7 a.m. opening time, there were 110 persons in line–nowhere near the crowds of the previous two iPhone debuts. The single long line was routed into two lines: one for persons who had pre-registered on-line, and those who had done no pre-arrival work.

At San Francisco store employees made the rounds with a cart of coffee before the opening. However, despite deliveries of bottled water overnight, nothing was handed out to the waiting line.

At 7 a.m., with little fanfare but great enthusiasm, the pre-registered line was waved inside. Within three minutes, the first of the walk-in buyers were also allowed inside.

In both cases, each buyer was met by an Apple employee, given a handshake and name introduction, and ushered to the line that formed at the Genius Bar, where the supply of iPhones was stacked on the rear shelf. Once the iPhone was in-hand, buyers were guided to a quiet area to finalize the purchase using the handheld computers and (usually) a credit card.

Those who had not pre-registered were first taken to a display computer, and asked to enter brief information about their iPhone telephone number (if existing customer), ZipCode and Social Security number. Existing customers confirmed their AT&T service plan, and new customers were asked to choose voice and data plans. After that, the purchase process with the handheld computer was the same.

Finally, the buyers was taken to the Creative bar at the back of the store, where 12-15 laptops were set up with iTunes running. Connecting the new iPhone linked the handset to the AT&T system to activate the telephone portion of the device.

The Apple employee then said “Congratulations!” to each buyer, and left to meet another buyer at the front door. An employee behind the Creative bar continued to help the buyer, and suggested they make a call to verify phone service–and presumably tell the person who answered, “Hey! I just bought the new iPhone!”

It took me about 15 minutes total to complete the total purchase experience. When I finally left the store, there was a curious crowd in front taking photos, and the two lines snaking around the corner of the store. I counted about 80 persons in line by 7:32 a.m. when I left for home.

Overall, the shorter lines and streamlined purchase-registration process made buying this year’s iPhone much more efficient and enjoyable. The line at Palo Alto–and reportedly at other stores–were evenly split between pre-registered and walk-ins.

Do you have photos of your iPhone event? E-mail photos to the IFO gallery at ifoman-y23p@post.me.com., and view the gallery here. Also check the updates I posted on Twitter here.

This is a very nice display in the Apple-branded section of the Best Buy store. However, the elegance of the display is tainted by the lack of either display iPhone.

The Apple stores have always been about the experience: to provide a sales point for products, but never with the singular goal of pressing the customer to buy directly from Apple. The evangelism of Apple stores means that store visitors may also buy from authorized reseller stores or on-line. As well, Apple store employees have been evaluated less on strict sales dollars, and more on attachment rates and customer experience. Now, however, Apple seems to be pushing its employees to generate more sales for its own stores, rather than allowing for choice. Coincident with recent changes to the One To One training program, Apple debuted a new reward program which they call, “Make an owner, become an owner.” When a sales employee meets a certain daily goal for sales, they are entered in a drawing for a Macintosh laptop, described as a “low-end” model.  The program also applies to the stores’ non-sales staff. However, they are into a the drawing whenever they sell a single computer. The reward program is identical to those long offered by many other retailers, especially those selling electronics. It’s not clear how often a drawing is held, or if the laptop is considered part of the employee’s taxable compensation.

The new design was born from the original design by architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ), and adapted to the large space that allowed visibility on three sides. The materials and features are classic Apple, and don’t signal any changes in how Apple will construct future stores. Most Apple stores are installed in shopping malls that offer none of the design freedom that the Scottsdale location offered. Even so, like the designs for several other Apple stores, the Scottsdale design demonstrates BCJ’s ability to continue extending the classic store architecture beyond previous limits.

According to insiders and city of Scottsdale permit records, mall developer Glimcher Realty Trust originally designed Building C of the project as a two-level masonry structure running parallel to Scottsdale Road. The building was to be continuous, but with architectural features to visually separate the several retail spaces along the four sides.

The building was designed with two heights: from Scottsdale Rd., the front 50 feet of the building would be 30 feet tall, while the rear portion would be 60 feet tall.

Building C with Apple store in red

The northern end of Building C was a 50-foot wide space that ran the full 125-foot, east-west width of the building, with retail entrances on the west, north and east sides. Glimcher originally intended for the 5,000 square-feet end space to be a restaurant.

Some time after the city approved the original development plans in June 2007, Apple became a part of the Scottsdale Quarter project. However, none of the existing spaces in the development offered enough space, street visibility or architectural freedom to display Apple’s brand and architecture.

So BCJ proposed–and Glimcher supported–a entirely new design that would create a visually-separate structure, one using a different design from the original plans and distinct from the adjacent retail spaces. The design by BCJ cut 50 feet off the north end of Building C, and substituted a glass and stainless steel Apple store that appears to stand alone.

The BCJ design featured a huge attraction for passing motorists, day or night: a 55-foot wide window, 30-feet high, set into the west end of the structure facing busy Scottsdale Rd. At the east end, on the interior of the new development, the architects specified the exact same design, with the addition of an entrance for customers. Both ends of the store feature a suspended, back-lit Apple logo, and a large lip overhang for weather protection.

Based on this new design, Glimcher went back to the city’s development board and requested approval for the new features, including a larger footprint than originally permitted, a change on the height of the building, and approval for different building finishing materials. Glimcher was cagey about the specific retailer, but there were hints the space was leased to Apple.

“Exterior materials proposed for the portion of Building C to be revised with this application consist of bead blasted stainless steel panels and floor-to-ceiling glass panels for the store fronts,” the permit filed on July 24, 2008 stated.

Additional clues were given in a document to the city’s Planning and Development Services Department. Gwen Jarick of design firm Nelsen Partners Development Co. said the changes were being made, “due to a tenant that would like their identity to be recognized from three sides of the building.”

Jarick said, “We feel that this tenant has made a great effort to fuse their design with the existing design of Building C.” She added, “We also feel this design is an asset to the project as a hwhole and marks the entrance to the project with a clean dramatic look.”

The new design reduced the building height from two stories (60 feet) to a single level of 30 feet. Making the building separate from the rest of Building C would move the property line further north. That, in turn, would place Building C much closer to Building B across the roadway. According to the permit request, the narrower space between the buildings would reduce pedestrian access, and eliminate several planned storefronts on the north side of the building. The view of the interior of the development from Scottsdale Rd. would also be reduced, the permit explained.

The new design on the north side, “is a cleaner, simpler design that does not contain any access to the tenant space, or provide much pedestrian interest,” Glimcher said in its permit application. There would be a thin display window along the north side of the Apple store, the permit said. That design is similar to windows installed at Burlingame and San Francisco stores.

Overall, the Apple store would occupy about 5,000 square-feet of retail floor space, and another 2,300 square-feet in Building C for back-of-house operations. The building would be 125 feet long and 55 feet wide.

A staff report to the city’s Development Review Board said simply, “Staff recommends approval, subject to the attached stipulations,” the permit stated simply.” The full board unanimously approved the requested changes, but stipulated that a double row of trees be retained on the north side of the Apple store: one row of palm trees and one row of “small trees.”

According to permit documents, Apple valued the construction work at $827,892. That figure doesn’t include the cost of fit-out materials, including the glass and stainless steel panels, stone floor tiles, and wood furniture and fixtures. Given the high cost, quality and precision of Apple’s materials, the store’s final price tag could be $5 million.

Interestingly, the approved permit shows that final city inspections on major building systems, including plumbing, electrical, water and mechanical, were approved on June 11, 2009, one day before the grand opening.

The final building is unique, yet reminiscent of several existing stores. The all-glass storefront has been used in several locations, but most effectively at Boylston Street (Mass.), Bethesda Row (Md.) and Chestnut Street (SF). The suspended Apple logo is now standard at most new stores, although the size and placement varies.

The tall-ceiling, big-box concept isn’t common, simply because most Apple stores are located in shopping malls. But you can find examples at Chestnut Street and the future 67th & Broadway (NYC) stores.

Yet even with these similarities, no store has ever had Scottdale’s configuration: two identical glass openings. [The Sanlitun store in Beijing has front and back glass walls, but they're not identical or symmetrical.]

As for where the bathroom are–it’s quite simple. By appearance, the store is one huge, steel-paneled box. But permit documents show that Apple’s lease includes space directly south of Apple’s landmark retail space connected to the Building C. That space includes the product stockroom, Genius room and employee bathrooms.

Thanks to Tom Ziegmann for photos of the grand opening. Also check Apple’s official photos on the store’s Web site (click the link on the store photo).

Check this in-progress aerial photo of the Building C area, looking southeast.

The developer filed several documents with the city of Scottsdale detailing the original and revised design for Building C along Scottsdale Road.

This blueprint shows how Apple's leased space fits into the revised plan for Building C. The back-of-house space is the left portion.

These elevations of the east side of Building C show the original (top) and revised designs. The red-shaded portion of the original design is where the changes were made, allowing for a cleaner profile for the Apple store, installed as a separate building. This side of the building faces into the development, and is where the Apple store entrance is located.

These elevations show the portion of Building C facing west onto Scottsdale Rd. In the original plan (top), the building closest to the road is 50-feet tall, with a taller structure behind it. In the revised plan, the Apple store stands alone, and presents a much cleaner profile.

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This is a view of the original (top) and revised elevation facing north. In the original design, the building is two different heights, and there are retail store entrances on this side of the building. In the revised design, the building is all one height, and only a small, strip display window intrudes on the stainless steel side wall. The Apple store entrance is to the left, and the "back" window is to the right in the revised view. [In the original design, the right-most section of the building does bear some resemblance to an Apple store, but it's only coincidental.

The former Astoria Federal Savings and Loan building that Apple had demolished was built in the 1970s, part of a complex of buildings at 1900 Northern Blvd.

According to Nassau County tax records, the “market value” of the property as of Jan. 2, 2009 is $11.2 million.

According to town records, on May 20th Apple filed an appeal of a limitation on the size of an sign on the outside wall of the future store. According to zoning requirements, any sign on an exterior wall that faces a public street, “shall not exceed 4½ feet in vertical measurement or two square feet per linear foot of wall width.”

Any sign on the building wall that faces a parking area, “shall not exceed two feet in vertical measurement or one square foot per linear foot of wall width, but in no case shall exceed 24 square feet in area.”

It’s not clear which of the two limitations Apple is appealing, or how large a sign they have proposed. Typically, Apple’s white, back-lit logo is much larger than two feet high, although usually not more than 24 square-feet in area.

Thanks to Harold in NY for these photos of the construction in the first week of June.

The store is set back from Northern Ave., along a frontage road, at the intersection of a roadway that enters the shopping mall complex.

The Apple space is located next to the bargain clothing store Daffy's.

The design of the store resembles the new Bethesda Row (Md.) store--an wide and open steel structure. Notice the Shawmut Design and Construction sign hanging on the barricade fence--they are Apple's construction partner for stores.

View a panoramic photo of the strip-mall, with the former bank building indicated, where Apple is now constructing its new store.

The future Apple store is circled, with the existing mall to the east (right). In front of the future store is a frontage road and Northern Blvd. Behind the store is a large parking lot. Apple is just outside (west) of the existing mall.