In one of his last public appearances, Steve Jobs laid out plans for Apple"s new corporate home, Campus 2. The new building would look like a UFO, or "a little like a spaceship", as Jobs described it. It has been several years since Campus 2 started construction, due to numerous delays. However, the company kept releasing videos of the facility from time to time, updating those interested on its progress.
Now it looks like the building will be opening to Apple employees soon.
According to the latest information provided by Apple, its new building will be called "Apple Park". The 175-acre facility has the capacity to house more than 12,000 employees, and is designed to be very energy-efficient with a 17MW on-site rooftop solar installation system. It is also the largest naturally ventilated building in the world, with projections estimating that it will require no heating or air-conditioning systems for nine months of the year.
Apple has also touted its environmental-friendly attitude by saying that the ring-shaped campus replaces 5 million-square-feet of asphalt and concrete with more than 9,000 native and drought-resistant trees, an orchard, a pond and a meadow. Apple CEO Tim Cook had the following to say:
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. 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.
In accordance with Steve Jobs" creative vision, the 2.8 million-square-foot building is attired in the world’s largest panels made of curved glass. In fact, to honor his memory, the Cupertino-based company has named the theater inside Apple Park after Steve Jobs as well. The 20-foot-tall cylindrical glass structure has the capacity to house more than 1,000 people. Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, stated that:
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. Connecting extraordinarily advanced buildings with rolling parkland creates a wonderfully open environment for people to create, collaborate and work together.
The Apple Park has been designed in collaboration with Foster + Partners. The facility will be ready for occupation by employees in April this year. However, Apple states that the transitioning process of over 12,000 employees to the new facility could take six months. Construction of buildings and parklands is also expected to continue throughout the summer.
Source and images: Apple