Take a Look Inside Apple Soho's Forbidden Zone

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The plans for the super secret re-make and expansion of the Apple store in Soho are being kept undercover and behind a mega-plywood fence that wraps along Prince Street. But no amount of covertness can keep camera-toting passersby from getting a photo or two through an unattended open gate. We got just such a shot, capturing the open loading dock along Greene Street where the post office used to be, and what's revealed inside is a far cry from Apple's signature pristine minimalism.

Another sneaky shot, captured by a guy named "Mike" and posted a few days back at ifoAppleStore, shows all the insides as seen from Prince Street. The interior is now a gutted shell, raw steel beams and girders having replaced the blond wood and glass. What's to come is being put together by the creative team from Apple's go-to design gurus at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, but the plan remains a mystery.

Gone are the upper level theater and any sign of the Genius Bar. What about the massive staircase in glass? It too is out, and documents filed at the Department of Buildings don't give much of a hint, simply saying that what is seen is "structural work to replace glass stair." Anybody with knowledge or renderings or anything else Apple-Soho–related should feel welcome to drop us a note at our always-open Racked tip line.
· Little Apple Soho's Big Expansion Plans [Racked]
· Sneak Peek: Soho Store In Mid-Remodel[ifoAppleStore.com]
· 103 Prince Street Application Details [NYC Department of Buildings]