Formerly the Washington central library funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1903, this building situated on the centre of one of the city's 'squares' (Mt Vernon Sq) at a planned intersection between diagonal streets and the city's street grid, was taken on and renovated by Foster and Partners for Apple in 2019. The library and a small museum remain on the first floor and the ground floor now houses the Apple Store. This is furnished in the minimalist corporate style of Apple and has a restrained elegance. Here, however, the Beaux Arts columns and deign decoration ion the historic building has been retained throughout. To the rear, opposite the entrance door, a double height modern space is the focus of the new store and described as a 'forum'; with soft cube furnishings and a large screen that can be used for presentations. No expense was spared in this $30m renovation which is the pinnacle of the transformation of this once run down area over the past ten years. Much of this transformation can be attributed to the hard work of the community run 'Shaw Main Streets' (www.shawmainstreets.org) who have spearheaded regeneration efforts in the surrounding area.
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