Unveiled in early 2017, Foster + Partners' design for the Apple flagship in Melbourne was met with swift opposition arising from the proposed demolition of the Yarra building at Federation Square, the project built in 2002 per a design by Lab Architecture Studio and Bates Smart. The store would have inserted retail space into a project devoted to public institutions and displaced the Yarra building's occupant, Koorie Heritage Trust.

Last week Heritage Victoria said the project would cause "an unacceptable and irreversible detrimental impact on the cultural heritage significance of Federation Square." This decision followed two designs by Foster + Partners, the second of which responded to the public's concerns. Apple, which has five stores in Melbourne, said through a spokesperson that it will no longer pursue the plans, therefore not appealing the decision and preserving the character of Federation Square.