(Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

Late yesterday Apple previewed Apple Changsha, the first Apple Store in Hunan province. Situated in the heart of the provincial capital city, Apple Changsha’s location provides easy access for customers across central China.

Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People: "We are thrilled to be opening in Changsha, a community filled with creativity and profound cultural heritage. So many of our team members already call Hunan province home, and they are ready to welcome and support their neighborhood at Apple Changsha."

The new store is located in the popular Changsha IFS shopping mall and faces the bustling Huangxing Road, one of the top urban attractions in the city. Visitors entering the store from outside will encounter the uniquely designed double-height façade, which features a completely new gradient frit and mirrored coating treatment that blurs the transition from top to bottom and shifts in appearance during different times of day or seasons. The all-new glass façade was sustainably manufactured in Tianjin, China, and is the first Apple Store in the world to utilize this façade technique.

From the interior mall entrance, customers will immediately come across the Forum and the freestanding video wall, home to Today at Apple sessions. Led by Apple Creative Pros, free daily sessions provide creative inspiration, teach practical skills, and help customers learn how to go further with their Apple products.

(Click on image to Greatly Enlarge)

To celebrate the grand opening, Creative Pros will host the exclusively tailored Today at Apple session “Art Walk: Discover the Colors of Changsha” beginning September 5, giving customers an opportunity to explore the city and capture its vibrant colors on iPad Pro. Visitors are able to register for the session today at apple.com.cn/today/event/art-walk-discover-the-colors-of-changsha.

Surrounding the Forum are display tables and avenues, where customers can explore curated Apple products and accessories or receive personal technical support from Geniuses. Throughout the store, customers can get shopping help from Apple Specialists and learn more about monthly financing options, Apple’s trade-in program, or try the newly launched Apple Pickup service.

Apple Changsha opens Saturday, September 4, at 10 a.m. CST in China. The store will open with the same health measures for both retail team members and visitors as seen in all Apple Store locations across China, including a mask requirement, temperature checks, and social distancing.

Where is Hunan Province in China?

The name Hunan literally means "south of the lake." The lake that is referred to is Dongting Lake, a lake in the northeast of the province. The Province is home to many memorable tourist sites as noted here. The population of Hunan Province is close to 66.5 million. It's the seventh largest province in China.