Technology firms have engineered incredible growth in the past decade – and they’ve
left their mark on urban landscapes by building enormous campuses. A recent example of this
can be seen in Apple’s new 5 Billion dollar headquarters located in Cupertino, California.
What looks like a giant spaceship parked up in the middle of suburban America is actually
Apple’s most ambitious project yet and is truly something to behold. Apple Park’s
stunning architecture extends across 175 acres of land and serves as an iconic symbol of
Apple's dedication to design, green energy, and the future of technology.
Despite Apple Park’s incredibly futuristic looks, the campus has been a long time in
the making with Steve Jobs himself first presenting the ambitious project to the Cupertino City
Council back
in 2006.
Jobs saw the rapid growth of the company and knew that their current campus at 1 Infinite
Loop couldn't last. So, Apple purchased land formerly owned by Hewlett-Packard; a company
very important to Jobs' history as he worked there as a summer intern.
Purchases of the required land were made through the company Hines Interests, which in at least
some cases didn’t disclose that Apple was the ultimate buyer. This is common practice
in attempts to arrange the purchase of contiguous land made up of multiple parcels with separate
owners, to keep costs from skyrocketing. This was similar to the approach that Disney took
in the mid-1960s when they set out to build their Magic Kingdom in Florida.
On June 7, 2011, Jobs presented to the Cupertino City Council, in what is widely known to be
one of his final public appearances, details of the architectural design of the new buildings
and
their surroundings.
Many of Apple's initial goals were met within this first presentation of the campus, but
subsequent delays and spiraling costs meant that Jobs sadly never got to realize the final
product as he passed away only a few months after that meeting.
On October 15, 2013, the Cupertino City Council unanimously approved Apple's plans for the
new campus after a six-hour debate. Shortly thereafter, demolition work began to prepare
the site for construction.
Apple began the initial tear-down of the old Hewlett-Packard buildings and broke ground
in March 2014. The project took a little over three years to get finalized and ready for
employees to move-in.
Throughout construction, Apple received criticism for the perceived extravagance of its new
headquarters, as well as its perfectionist approach to its design and construction. The
use of special wood as a construction material was reported to be the subject of a 30-page
document. The design of door handles was reported to be the subject of a one and a half year
debate, involving several revisions before Apple Executives gave their approval. Apple's
desire for custom signage also put the company at odds with the Santa Clara County Fire Department,
requiring several rounds of negotiations due to fears it could compromise safety in case
of emergencies.
Despite many setbacks, The campus successfully opened to employees in April 2017. Construction
work ongoing.
Apple Park integrates seamlessly with nature, with over eighty percent of the 175-acre site
consisting of green space planted with 9000 drought-resistant trees and plants indigenous
to the Cupertino area, including oak, apricot, plum, cherry, persimmon, and of course, a
few varieties of Apple. The center courtyard of the main building also features an artificial
pond.
To encourage employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Apple Park boasts a huge 100,000-square-foot
fitness center, over two miles of walking and running trails, and 1,000 bikes for staff
to get around the campus. Other health and wellbeing facilities include a two-story yoga
studio and a couple of basketball courts.
Apple Park is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. The main ring construction
is home to one of the world's largest rooftop solar farms, generating up to 17 megawatts
of power which is enough to meet 75 percent of the campuses' energy demand during peak
hours. The other 4 megawatts are generated onsite using Bloom Energy Server fuel cells,
which are powered by biofuel or natural gas. In addition to its solar-coated roof, the
ring also uses natural ventilation as much as possible. Needing no heating or cooling
for 9 months out of the year.
The nature of the ring-shaped building conceals immense expertise and innovation. It comprises
of a few core elements: communal ‘pod’ spaces for collaboration, private office spaces
for concentrated work, and broad, glazed perimeter walkways.
Steve Jobs himself wanted no seams, gaps, or paintbrush strokes visible for a clean
fit and finish. To achieve this, the massive building has 800, 45-foot tall curved glass
sheets that fit seamlessly around the four-story structure, the largest sheets of this kind
ever constructed – allowing for an uninterrupted connection to the landscape.
The ring also features wide-open spaces that can be collapsed into smaller sections when
needed. This level of configurability is just one of the many ideas brought forward by former
Apple design chief, Jony Ive.
Before he departed the company in 2019, Ive took time away from leading the design team
to work closely with architect Norman Foster on Apple Park. His product design influences
can be seen throughout the new campus, from the elevator buttons to the stairwells.
Much of California sits on the San Andreas Fault line, rendering the area extremely susceptible
to earthquakes. Apple Park is one of the few buildings in the United States to utilize
a sophisticated base isolation system to protect itself from even the worst Californian earthquakes.
The system consists of 692 huge stainless steel plates buried two stories underground
which allow the building to shift up to four feet in any given direction without causing
any structural damage. Also concealed underground is a network of roads, offices, and parking
spaces to maximize the green space in and around the park.
Also located within the park grounds, atop a hill, you’ll find a 1000-seat auditorium
intended for Apple product launches and press meets. Officially known as the Steve Jobs
Theater, this 165-foot diameter circular glass building has no visible supports and the largest
carbon fiber roof in the world. The theatre also includes a 42-foot high glass elevator
that rotates 171 degrees from the bottom to the upper lobby level. The elevator is made
from chemically-tempered glass and is considered to be the tallest free-standing, glass elevator
in the world.
In 2018, the Steve Jobs Theatre won a "Structural Artistry" award from the U.K.-based Institute
of Structural Engineers, given to buildings that have been "transformed by the vision
and skill of the structural engineer into something exceptional."
Other buildings dotted around the park include two three hundred thousand square foot research
and development facilities, a care clinic, and a visitors center which happens to be
the only building in the entire park that guests can visit without an employee badge.
the Apple Park Visitor’s Center is all under one roof and is divided into four very unique
sections
A 10,000-square-foot Apple Store filled with the latest apple products and exclusive merchandise
a 2,000-square-foot cafe, an observation deck, and an area for an augmented reality experience.
- the AR area includes a scale model of Apple Park offering visitors a unique look at life
on campus.
Steve Jobs had a vision to build the best office building in the world, a home of innovation
for generations to come, and there’s no doubt that Apple Park’s stunning architecture
and intuitive design certainly fits the bill.