The Netherlands first official Apple retailer will open on March 3. The flagship store will occupy two floors of the Hirsh Building in Leidseplein, one of Amsterdam’s busiest squares.

Construction and renovation of the historic Hirsh Building has been ongoing since May 2011. Plans revealed that an iconic spiral, glass staircase will connect the two floors, with tall ceilings and ornate pillars preserving the historical designs of the original Parisian style department store.

Last Tuesday speculation reached fever pitch, as Apple removed the construction barriers to reveal orange papered signs that read "Apple Store, Amsterdam. Opening Soon." The corner windows displayed three Apple logo’s stacked vertically as a homage to Amsterdam’s famous city badge.

Not everyone is excited about the new store though; the Municipality had to overrule complaints from historians that the Hirsh building was being irreversibly damaged by the plans, and authorised Apple retail stores were originally told that Apple would not directly compete with them.

Transportation
The store is located at Leidseplein 25, which can be reached with trams 1, 2, 5, 7 and 10.

Working hours
› Monday - Wednesday: 9am - 9pm
› Thursday - Saturday: 9am - 10pm
› Sunday: 11am - 7pm

The grand opening of the official Apple Store takes place on Saturday, March 3 at 10am.