When will it open?

House of glass: Exterior of new Apple store in Highland Village is (sort of)revealed

We were surprised to see part of the new Apple store revealed on Saturday.
Photo by Clifford Pugh
A close-up of the exterior of the new Apple store in Highland Village reveals itis, in fact, all-glass.
Photo by Clifford Pugh
The Houston store is reportedly modeled after an all-glass Apple store on NewYork's Upper West Side.
Photo via GDeluxe.com

Apple has been so secretive about its new Highland Village store that it has kept the construction site enclosed in a protective casing, so no one could see what it looks like. So we were surprised to pass by on Saturday afternoon and notice that some of the covering had fallen off, revealing the glass exterior.

It seems to confirm local Apple afficiando Tracy Evans' reports last month that the new store — the first non-mall location in Houston for the computer/phone giant — will resemble an Apple store on New York's Upper West Side that one architecture critic has described as "a pavilion of marble and sheer glass walls . . . a composition as austerely purposeful as a classic Greek temple."

The Houston store, located at 4012 Westheimer, is two stories tall, with a glass facade that extends to a glass ceiling, bound by walls of Tennessee marble. Last month, ifoApplestore.com reported that the back of the Houston store will also be made of glass, with an entrance at both ends and adjacent space for storage.

Even though the construction site is jammed with workers, don't expect the store to open any time soon. A security guard on the site told CultureMap the interior of the store "has a long way to go before it's finished."

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accessibility brings empowerment

Autonomous cab company cruises into Houston with wheelchair-accessible rides

Courtesy of Cruise

The six month program is available is more than 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

A California company with autonomous cabs has announced a new pilot program in partnership with a provider of wheelchairs and mobility solutions.

Cruise has teamed up with Numotion for a six-month wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) pilot program in Houston, offering free transportation for qualifying Numotion customers, according to the companies. The program will operate in over 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

“Numotion is excited to partner with Cruise to offer a seamless and convenient solution for wheelchair users in the Houston area. By providing transportation to and from repair appointments, we're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster,” says Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion, in a news release. “We're constantly striving to innovate and improve the lives of our customers, and this collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing beneficial customer experiences."

Cruise entered the Texas market last year, with Houston services launching in October 2023 before the company put all operations on pause following a California crash. This is the first Texas announcement for Cruise since the pause.

"Accessibility is core to our mission at Cruise. This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides – it’s about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future," says Craig Glidden, president and chief administrative officer at Cruise about the new pilot.

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The story originally was published on our sister site, InnovationMap.