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Apple announced earlier this week that their new 175-acre campus, featuring an enormous ring-shaped building designed by Foster + Partners, will begin welcoming employees this April. Construction of the buildings and surrounding parkland comprising Apple Park will continue through the summer as the process of moving 12,000 people into the dramatic facility unfolds.
Located in Cupertino, a Californian city just west of San Jose, the state-of-the-art campus was envisioned by the late Steve Jobs as a major hub for creativity and collaboration. This particular site in Santa Clara Valley was previously marred by five million square feet of asphalt sprawl — its new use is a substantial departure from that, complete with a 2.8-million-square-foot main building clad in the world's largest panels of curved glass.
Steve Jobs, the magnetic co-founder and former chairman and CEO of the tech giant, would have turned 62 today. In honour of Jobs' immeasurable accomplishments, the campus' on-site theatre will bear his name. The 1,000-seat Steve Jobs Theater, accessible by a 20-foot-tall glass cylinder that supports a metallic carbon-fibre roof, is situated atop a hill for enriched visual exposure.
"Steve's vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The workspaces and parklands are designed to inspire our team as well as benefit the environment. We've achieved one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world and the campus will run entirely on renewable energy."
Apple Park will also feature a visitors centre, with the requisite Apple Store and a cafe open to the public. Apple employees won't have to venture far for a workout — the campus will host a 100,000-square-foot fitness centre in addition to secure research and development facilities. The parklands are a veritable green oasis offering two miles of walking and running paths accompanied by an orchard, meadow, and pond within the enclosure formed by the circular structure. The largest naturally ventilated building in the world will forgo the need for heating and air conditioning for nine months of the year.
"Steve invested so much of his energy creating and supporting vital, creative environments. We have approached the design, engineering, and making of our new campus with the same enthusiasm and design principles that characterize our products," said Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer. "Connecting extraordinarily advanced buildings with rolling parkland creates a wonderfully open environment for people to create, collaborate, and work together. We have been extremely fortunate to be able to work closely, over many years, with the remarkable architectural practice Foster + Partners."
The full press release and a video showcasing the facility can be viewed here. Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
