Apple The Exchange TRX designed by Foster + Partners is the first Apple Store location in Kuala Lumpur’s new Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Malaysia's capital.

The store is characterized by a three-dimensional layered roof, that emits a warm glow at night acting as a focal point for a wider urban context. The design creates new visual and spatial connections between the mall’s central atrium and rooftop park, a lush tropical garden and a communal lawn, that wraps around the store’s upper level.
The store was designed, by Foster + Partners, as a glazed dome, the 26.5 x 26.5 meter (87 x 87-foot) roof transitions seamlessly between square and round geometries from the base to the top.

Responding to Malaysia’s tropical climate, it is shaded by a series of fins carefully angled to control solar radiation. The roof appears solid at the lower levels, becoming more permeable when visitors ascend through the store. The lower fin extends outwards to protect the glass façade and create a shaded walkway around the glazed edge of the store. A central glazed oculus, with 30% ceramic frit, provides soft natural light to the interior and incorporates a dynamic lighting function.
“The project captures the vitality of the city, with a layered roof of stacked solar shading blades that appears to float above the landscape. Galleries and walkways provide spectacular views of the natural surroundings and offer unexpected lines of sight through the store at different levels. The store’s grand interior showcases Apple’s innovative product lineups and aims to elevate people’s spirits with the celebration of light and shadow.”
Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners


Designed as a glazed dome, the 87 x 87-foot (26.5 x 26.5 meter) roof transitions seamlessly between square and round geometries from the base to the top. Apple store in Malaysia by Foster + Partners. Photograph by Nigel Young.

The store is laid across three levels with a viewing deck at the top that directly connects with the park's edge, bringing daylight and greenery into the store through the soaring interior. A sculptural quartz and glass staircase – and a bespoke glazed elevator – connect the various levels, with layered landings creating multiple lines of sight through the space. The Forum is located on a floating deck and the avenue and display tables are on the lowest level with direct connections to the mall. The store includes a video wall, a boardroom, and a dedicated Apple Pickup station.

Apple The Exchange TRX is designed with a refined palette of high-quality materials, including natural stone walls, polished stainless-steel columns, light Terrazzo floors and a timber ceiling.

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Arquitectos
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Cliente
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Fechas
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Inauguración.- Junio de 2024.

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Venue / Location
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Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Kuala Lumpur, Malasia.

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Photography
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Nigel Young.

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Norman Robert Foster (Reddish, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, 1 June 1935) is a British architect, founder of Foster + Partners, and one of the leading figures in contemporary architecture. His career is closely associated with the development of high-tech architecture, structural innovation, and the integration of environmental considerations into buildings and infrastructure.

He studied architecture and urban planning at the University of Manchester, graduating in 1961. He subsequently received a Henry Fellowship to continue his education at Yale University in the United States, where he earned a master's degree in architecture and met Richard Rogers. In 1963, he co-founded Team 4 with Rogers, Su Rogers, Georgie Wolton, and Wendy Cheesman. Following the group's dissolution, he established Foster Associates in London in 1967 with Wendy Cheesman. The practice was later renamed Foster + Partners and is now headquartered in London, with offices worldwide.

His early work explored technological innovation, prefabrication, and spatial flexibility, influenced in part by his collaboration with Richard Buckminster Fuller. Notable early projects include the Willis Faber & Dumas headquarters in Ipswich (1975) and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich (1978). His international reputation grew with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation headquarters in Hong Kong (1985), Stansted Airport in London (1991), and the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt (1997).

His career encompasses architecture, urban planning, and infrastructure projects across numerous countries. Among his best-known works are the reconstruction of the Reichstag in Berlin (1999), the Great Court of the British Museum (2000), the Millennium Bridge (2000), and London City Hall (2002). Other major projects include the Bilbao Metro, Canary Wharf Underground Station, 30 St Mary Axe in London (2004), the Millau Viaduct in France (2004), the Hearst Tower in New York (2006), Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport (2008), Apple Park in Cupertino (2017), and Bloomberg's European headquarters in London (2017).

Alongside his architectural practice, Foster has pursued research and educational initiatives focused on the future of cities. In 1999, he established the Norman Foster Foundation, whose headquarters opened in Madrid in 2017. The foundation promotes interdisciplinary research in architecture, urbanism, technology, and infrastructure, preserves his professional archive, and develops international educational programmes. In 2024, the Norman Foster Institute began its academic activities, focusing on the study of sustainable cities.

His numerous honours include the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (1983), the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects (1994), the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1999), the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture (2002), and the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (2009). He was knighted in 1990 and appointed a life peer in 1999, taking the title Lord Foster of Thames Bank.

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Published on: June 27, 2024
Cite:
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
"Foster + Partners opens Apple’s first retail location in Malaysia" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/foster-partners-opens-apples-first-retail-location-malaysia> ISSN 1139-6415
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