Apple's original plans angered many Melburnians after they were announced unexpectedly by the state government in December. The council then voted to pressure the government and Apple to consider a redesign, after it received more than 800 submissions from the public rejecting the old design. The new Apple store design replaces the original plan, which was dubbed a "Pizza Hut pagoda". Credit:Apple

The new design, released on Friday, comes after a series of workshops involving Federation Square management, the state government, Melbourne City Council and Apple. The project is part of a broader revamp of Federation Square, which will include a new train station entrance, more public space and better access to the river. The state government has predicted the new Apple store will attract an additional 2 million people to Federation Square each year. The new designs for the Apple store were released following a public backlash. Credit:Federation Square Loading

Federation Square chief executive Jonathan Tribe said the Apple store redesign was “consistent with Federation Square’s Civic and Cultural Charter, which recognises Melbourne’s pre-eminence as a centre for creativity and innovation”. The flagship Apple store includes space for concerts and free events, which will be programmed daily, as well as technology, design and art workshops. The new store is also expected to better connect the square to the Yarra and Birrarung Marr. Melbourne City Council's Rohan Leppert, a Greens councillor, said the state government had failed to consult the public properly. "These minor design improvements can’t paper over the fundamental issue that the state government is demolishing part of Federation Square – Melbourne’s premier civic meeting space – to build a store for one of the world’s richest companies," he said.

"The public wasn’t consulted the first time, and they haven’t been consulted in the so-called design review. The state government continues to hold the public in contempt." The original design attracted criticism for failing to fit in with the area. Some dubbed it a "Pizza Hut pagoda". The original design for the new Apple store attracted 800 submissions to council. Credit:Federation Square Lord mayor Sally Capp said during her election campaign that she had given in-principle support for the $100 million store proposal, "as long as the design is sympathetic to the existing features of the square and its position on the Yarra River". She said she had only just seen the pictures of the new design and they were yet to be lodged with the council.

"I've only seen the design this morning in the paper; that will be something we will look at in detail," she told radio station 3AW. "It's a state government decision at the end of the day ... but the great thing about the process is that it gives our community the opportunity to be able to lodge lots of submissions and comments." On Friday the National Trust voiced its concerns about giving Apple so much control over the city's key public space without consultation. While it was ''encouraging'' that Apple had redesigned the store, ''it does not respond to the fundamental concerns that were proposed earlier about the demolition of a significant building in our city’s town square", National Trust chief executive Simon Ambrose said. Lobby group Citizens for Melbourne has campaigned against the store, collecting more than 100,000 signatures on a petition.

It was revealed by The Age in January that Premier Daniel Andrews' cabinet was divided over the Apple store plan, before Mr Wynne approved it. Tourism and Major Events Minister John Eren hailed the new Apple store as an asset to Melbourne. "This is more than just a store, it is a community activation space that will host arts, cultural, tech and music events complementing the original charter of Fed Square," Mr Eren said.