By Luke Dormehl • 6:15 am, August 28, 2019

One of the best things about Apple Store design is how Apple’s architects find ways to embrace local design elements, while still making the stores feel connected to one another.

The latest example of this is the stunning Foster + Partners design for the new Apple Aventura store in Miami, Florida. The most notable aspect of the store’s design is its undulating vaulted roof. This was intended to represent the city’s nautical history.

The design is also intended to pay homage to the region’s Art Deco buildings. It is reportedly the first Apple Store to feature white precast concrete as its main structural support system. This is a continuation of a design element used for Apple Park.

“This store is very ‘Miami’ to me – its special trees, the light and the new roof,” said Jony Ive. Ive apparently worked with the architects in what was probably one of his last big projects at Apple.

“It is also quintessentially Apple, marrying the outdoor lifestyle with a sense of freedom and creativity that is intrinsic to the way we work,” Ive said.

This isn’t the first time Apple has found ways to embrace local elements as part of its Apple Stores. When Apple opened its Chinese Apple Store in West Lake, Hangzhou, it commissioned a special mural by renowned calligrapher Wang Dongling.

In cases where Apple isn’t building stores from the ground-up, it frequently seeks out iconic local landmarks as places to open stores or offices. In France Apple has a store in the immediately recognizable Champs-Élysées in Paris. Before this, it had a store located in the Carrousel du Louvre, in front of the world-famous museum. Apple carries over the same thinking to its offices. In London, its new HQ will be based in the iconic Battersea power station.

The Apple Aventura store in Miami opened its doors earlier this month on August 10.