# New Apple store in Sydney - largest laminated glass in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416 "2008-06-18T23:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/1 "2008-06-18T23:17:15Z")
Apple is opening a new shop in Sydney today. It’s right opposite the building where I work. So I’ve had a good view of its construction and the build up for the opening, including the people who have been queueing for the last few days to be the first into the shop. In [today’s paper](http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/iqueue-apple-will-open-to-an-international-lineup/2008/06/18/1213770732825.html) I noticed this claim by Apple: > [@](#): > > The Apple fans on the footpath are separated from the store by a 700-square-metre glass atrium, comprising 16 panels of laminated glass, each 15 metres high. > > Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice-president for retail strategy, said they were the largest slabs of laminated glass in the world. I’m always suspicious of this sort of marketing hyperbole. The glass frontage is impressive, but to my eyes no larger than I’ve seen on buildings elsewhere in the world. Does anyone know what the record might be? Is this claim by Apple true, or just marketing crap? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/2 "2008-06-19T02:12:07Z")
It probably is true. In 2003, [2.5 x 6 meters](http://www.glassglobal.com/news/one_of_the_largest_laminated_glasses_ever_produced_by_advanced_glazing_systems-955.html) was just about the biggest piece of laminated glass on the planet. Five years later, Apple’s glass is two and a half times taller. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/3 "2008-06-19T02:46:31Z")
The Grand Canyon west Skywalk might give those panels a run for their money: [The two-inch thick glass decking, approximately 10 feet wide and 70 feet deep, is made of a multilayer glass construction including three SentryGlas Plus® structural interlayers and four layers of Saint-Gobain Diamant glass](http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:ci7HfyD2SkEJ:www.dupont.com/safetyglass/en/newsEvents/grand_canyon_skywalk_pr.pdf+%22grand+canyon%22+glass+skywalk+laminated&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a) If it’s of a single piece, that’s 65.03 square meters, which compares favorably to Apple’s 700/16 = 43.75 square meter panels. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/4 "2008-06-19T05:34:55Z")
Interesting. Thanks for the responses. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/5 "2008-06-19T06:49:57Z")
Apple obsesses over style once again. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/6 "2008-06-19T06:58:11Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Apple obsesses over style once again. [/QUOTE] And shifts truckloads of product as a consequence. Hard to argue with that. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-apple-store-in-sydney-largest-laminated-glass-in-the-world/453416/7 "2008-06-19T07:14:10Z")
The shop just opened a few minutes ago. There are crowds of the Apple faithful in attendance.