An upcoming Apple store in Japan will feature an eco-friendly “green wall”

One of the reasons why Apple is able to ensure that their data centers are green is because these data centers are usually built from ground up by Apple, and in a location far away and usually isolated. This is compared to Apple Stores which are usually part of a mall or in the middle of a city where it might not be as convenient to go green. About a week ago, Apple’s VP of Environmental Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, mentioned that Apple could be interested in their retail stores being powered by renewable energy in the future, but admitted that it would be tricky. However in Japan it looks like Apple is working towards that, or at least trying to be as green as they can for now.

When Apple’s latest store opens in Tokyo, Japan, it will feature a style of eco-friendly architecture the company has never before used at a retail outlet: foliage. Spotted by Japanese Apple blog Mac Otakara, the upcoming Apple Store in Omotesando is sporting what looks to be a “green curtain” of thick vines that covers at least one entire side of the outlet. A similar installation may be incorporated in other areas of the store’s design but are not yet visible due to construction, which is expected to end in June. Prior to the leafy latticework, the location featured an all-glass wall that would have let in large amounts of sunlight, causing an inevitable rise in temperature. With the green curtain Apple may be looking to cut down on power consumption related to cooling down the store during daylight hours. Further, a unique design on the construction barrier, seen below, features a swirl of leaves with the words “Apple Store, Omotesando coming soon.” The art is reminiscent of Apple’s green leaf iconography used during its Earth Day environmental campaign last month.