Apple Store The Exchange TRX / Foster + Partners

Architects: Foster + Partners
Year: 2024
Photographs: Nigel Young, Foster + Partners
Manufacturers: Terrazzo & Marble
Products Used in This Project: Terrazzo Flooring – Terroxy Resin Systems by Terrazzo & Marble
Category: Commercial Architecture, Store
Design Team: Foster + Partners
City: Kuala Lumpur
Country: Malaysia

Apple Store The Exchange TRX retail project designed by Foster + Partners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has introduced Apple’s first Malaysian location within the Tun Razak Exchange development. The store features a layered, glazed dome roof that shifts between square and circular geometries and emits a soft glow at night. Responding to Malaysia’s tropical climate, angled shading fins reduce solar exposure, while a central oculus with ceramic frit filters daylight into the interior. The three-level layout connects directly to a rooftop park, incorporating greenery and daylight through an open, vertical spatial arrangement. A sculptural quartz and glass staircase and a bespoke glazed elevator link the levels. The Forum is set on a floating deck, and lower levels include display areas and a dedicated Apple Pickup station. Materials include natural stone, polished stainless steel, Terrazzo flooring, and a timber ceiling.

Apple store the exchange trx / foster + partners

Apple The Exchange TRX is the first Apple Store in Malaysia, situated within Kuala Lumpur’s newly developed Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). The store features a three-dimensional layered roof that emits a warm glow at night, serving as a visual beacon that attracts visitors to the site. The architectural design establishes new spatial and visual links between the mall’s central atrium and an adjacent rooftop park, which includes a dense tropical garden and a communal lawn that surrounds the upper level of the store.

The roof, designed as a glazed dome measuring 87 by 87 feet (26.5 by 26.5 meters), transitions fluidly from square to circular geometries between its base and apex. In response to Malaysia’s tropical climate, it is shaded by a series of precisely angled fins that regulate solar radiation. The roof presents a solid appearance at the lower levels and becomes increasingly permeable as visitors ascend through the store. The lowest fin extends outward to protect the glass facade and forms a shaded walkway along the perimeter of the building. At the center, a glazed oculus with 30% ceramic frit introduces soft natural light into the interior and integrates a dynamic lighting element.

The store spans three levels, with a viewing deck at the top that connects directly to the adjacent park, allowing daylight and greenery to enter the space through the tall interior volume. A sculptural staircase made of quartz and glass, along with a custom-designed glazed elevator, links the levels, while layered landings establish multiple lines of sight throughout the store. The Forum is positioned on a floating deck, while the avenue and product display tables occupy the lowest level, offering direct access to the mall. The store also features a video wall, a boardroom, and a dedicated Apple Pickup station.

Apple The Exchange TRX is designed using a refined selection of high-quality materials, which include natural stone walls, polished stainless-steel columns, light Terrazzo flooring, and a timber ceiling.