Pity the employees of the University Village Apple Store. First, their venue closes down for much of June, barely re-opening as a small store-within-a-construction-zone in time to handle the onslaught of iPhone 3G buyers ^[1]. All summer, this microstore (built out of plywood and particleboard) has tried to handle the demand for phones and laptops as the only official retail venue within Seattle’s city limits. Visitors can attest that it’s been packed tighter than the Titantic’s steerage class for months.

Now, the store is shut down totally to allow the final phase of refurbishment to begin. As part of the construction, the original wood floor is being replaced with some sort of poured-concrete system.

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Despite the extensive, multi-month refurbishment, it’s unlikely Seattle will see any kind of glass staircase design element ^[3] that other cities’ multi-level stores enjoy. Though the store now extends nearly all the way to the back of the building, only storage and service are expected to occupy the (previously-unused) second floor.