Apple's famous logos are to be removed from the front of its flagship London store as part of a major redesign by the architects behind the Gherkin skyscraper.
Major plans to revamp the “tired and outdated” shop have been lodged, which could see the four giant apples removed to allow more light to flood into the interior.
Apple wants to “re-imagine the overall customer experience” to create a “calm environment” for people buying iPhones and iPads in its 11-year-old store Regent Street branch, which was its first to open in Europe.
It features more than 11,000 square feet of retail space and will be one of the biggest store redesigns since Chingford-born Sir Jonathan Ive was appointed Apple’s chief design officer.
When it opened in 2004, popular items included the white iMac G5 desktop with an 80GB hard drive and iPod mini, with a black and white screen.
Now more than 4 million people visit the Regent Street branch store every year.
One of the most dramatic differences in the Foster & Partners redesign to “de-clutter” the store will be on the front of the Grade II listed building, which was built in 1898.
There also is an emphasis on renovating the stone and bronze facade.
Plans approved by Westminster state: “The brief looked to re-imagine the overall customer experience within the store and address a tired and outdated interior sales area.”
They continue: “Part of the proposed works is also removing the four Apple Logos from the Regent Street facade.
“This assists with natural light penetrating the retail floor and preserves the historic character of the facade.”
The front portion of the mezzanine will be removed and a double height entrance will be built to bring more natural light inside and improve the “customer journey”.
The main glass staircase will be removed and replaced with “two new dramatic staircases (to) draw the visitors up to the refurbished mezzanine level”.
Inside, Apple plans a palette of neutral colours, including white, grey and natural oak, “to create a calm environment for an enhanced shopping experience”.
No artist’s impression of the Regent Street interior is included in the plans.
Apple gave no indication of how long the works will last, but has been given permission to run a temporary store in the basement for up to three years during the works.
One worker in the basement store said the scheme was so secret that most staff members were “not allowed to see upstairs” until works are complete.
An Apple spokeswoman said: "We’re incredibly proud of the impact the Apple Store Regent Street has made on the 45 million visitors it has seen over the course of 11 years.
"As our first store in Europe it has served an important role in the city and we’re going to take some time to modernise it for the neighbourhood.
"We thank our customers for their understanding."
Earlier this month, Apple unveiled in Brussels its first store interior since Sir Jonathan became chief design officer, which was also designed by Foster & Partners.
The brief of Sir Jonathan, whose creations include the iPod, is in charge of “major architectural projects such as Apple Campus 2 and Apple’s retail stores”.
