Apple in a rush to get that flagship Palo Alto store finished

Apple sure seems like it is in a hurry to finish its new prototype store. A passerby noticed the construction tonight, just as cranes were lowering a big sheet of window glass into place.

Evening construction isn’t surprising in a busy place like University Avenue in Palo Alto, Calif. But it makes you wonder if Apple is serious about finishing the store in time for an expected product announcement on Sept. 12 and product launch on Sept. 21. Analysts bet that Apple is introducing its iPhone 5 and possibly the iPad Mini. The way in which the crane is carrying the glass, it almost looks like it is a glass ceiling or floor, not a window.

As our executive editor Dylan Tweney reported, Apple is turning the Palo Alto, Calif., store into a “new prototype” for selling the company’s goods. The 16,600-square-feet store will have two stories as well as a huge amount of Internet bandwidth. The Seele architectural firm appeared to be supervising the construction, based on a van parked in front.

[Image credit: provided to VentureBeat by someone who wants to remain anonymous.]