The Steve Jobs Theater is the result of an eight-year collaboration between Apple and
the architecture firm Foster and Partners. It debuted in 2017 when the iPhone X was introduced,
and it’s located at the company’s main headquarters called Apple Park. I previously
made a video about the entire campus itself that I’ll link to in the comments,
but this video is focused only on the Steve Jobs Theater. And don’t forget
to subscribe for these voting polls to help decide which topics I cover.
Alright now the theater was placed on top of a small hill, which happens to be the highest
point in Apple Park, as a sign of respect to the man it’s named after. When approaching the
building, the first thing you’ll notice is the circular 155-foot metallic carbon fiber roof.
It appears to be suspended in mid-air since it’s supported by nothing but glass. 44 panels
of 22-foot tall glass to be exact. There are no columns or beams in sight. Which was possible
thanks to an incredible feat of architectural engineering. And although this design may appear
to be structurally questionable, rest assured that it’s actually one of the most resilient buildings
in America today. Its foundation includes pendulum isolators, which are essentially
giant ball bearings, that allow earthquakes to shake the ground underneath the structure,
while the building itself doesn’t move at all. That means the Steve Jobs Theater is capable of
withstanding earthquakes with a magnitude of 8-plus. Apple even assured visitors about the
building’s safety by claiming that, if every other glass panel were to break or fall way,
the eighty-ton roof would still be supported by the remaining panels.
A testament to how seriously Foster and partners thought about safety and security.
But that’s only the beginning of the buildings innovative features. The Theater’s architects
said they tried to design the building with the same philosophy Apple uses to
design products. Which means everything included must have a purpose, while also maintaining an
outward appearance of effortless simplicity. For example, the lobby appears to have glass walls,
a circular roof with lights, and that’s pretty much it. But hidden inside the glass
panel’s thin silicon joints are custom-designed water pipes that connect to a sprinkler system
embedded inside the roof. They used this technique to run wiring for power, data,
and audio through the building. So while you might look up and assume the dark circular bars are an
aesthetic design choice, they actually serve a functional purpose. Like housing the sprinklers,
speakers, and an antenna for Apple’s internal communication system. Which is not unlike the
black bar we saw on the original iPhone that allowed for radio signals to pass through.
Now, while Foster and Partners were striving to create the most minimal space possible,
they ran into a problem. Echo. Since there were no columns or beams, sound bounced off the flat
surfaces of the floor, ceiling, and walls, creating an unpleasantly loud echo. So how
was this solved without altering the building’s design? Well they realized that humans themselves
acted as natural sound absorbers. So during Apple Events, when the lobby was packed with guests,
virtually no echo could be heard. Although for more intimate events with only a handful
of people, Apple will put up some material on the walls designed to absorb sound and prevent echo.
But this section of the theater is only the lobby, and the only structure above-ground.
Everything else is one level below. Just like the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue,
visitors will have to either take the stairs or the glass elevator to reach the lower level.
But in this case, the elevator and stairs each have a unique design. For example, the glass
elevator is actually on a corkscrew track that allows it to slowly rotate while descending.
That way, the elevator only needs one door for passengers to enter and exit rather than two.
The staircase is made from the same Italian limestone that covers the walls, and the two
were designed to be seamlessly integrated. From the gentle curve of the staircase while
hugging the perimeter, to the recessed handrail that’s directly formed into the limestone wall.
Both methods of reaching the lower level have been crafted with attention to every last detail.
And one of my favorite details of this building is in the foyer, which is used
as a hands-on demo area of new products Apple introduces during an event. The catch,
is that the area is closed off by a huge curved metal wall while visitors enter the auditorium.
And only opens up after visitors leave the event. It’s an impressive touch that makes the
experience of attending an Apple event even more magical. But what about the auditorium itself?
Well it’s accessible through a wide entryway off the foyer, with the words “Steve Jobs Theater”
carved above it. This is actually the only place in the building where you can find Job’s name.
Once inside, the space might feel like a small and intimate theater, but it’s actually almost
three times larger than Apple’s previous town hall with nine hundred twenty one seats. But
not just any chairs would do. Jonathan Ive deliberately chose wide, plush seating made
from tan Italian leather. The premium materials meant each seat cost Apple a reported $14,000.
The floors are made from a white oak that is also carried through to the fixtures along the walls.
So when it comes to the Steve Jobs Theater, it’s clear that no expense was spared. And although
critics have questioned the need for $14,000 leather chairs and a rotating glass elevator,
I think Steve Jobs would have loved every detail that added to the buildings magical experience.
Since, after all, that’s exactly what he strived for when creating products.
Alright guys thanks for watching till the end, don’t forget to subscribe to
help decide which topics I cover, and I’ll see you in the next video.