Apple is building its circular, 2.8M SF, one-mile in circumference, $5B "spaceship" campus in Cupertino. Curved glass will completely encompass both sides of the main building so employees can look into the inner green or out to the exterior landscape.
The structure was designed by Lord Norman Foster, who got his idea from looking at London Square, while Steve Jobs took inspiration from the Main Quad on Stanford’s campus. London Square has a mini-park in the center, and after Foster scaled up that design, it slowly morphed into a circular building that enclosed a big park.
The original building contractors were Skanska and DPR, but they parted ways from the project in early 2015 and were replaced by Rudolph & Sletten Construction.
PROJECT TIMELINE:
2006 - Apple acquires nine properties in Cupertino for $160M to build Apple Campus 2.
2010 - Apple purchased an additional 98 acres no longer used by HP for an estimated $300M.
2010 - Announced Lord Norman Foster was in charge of the architectural design that emphasizes social behavior and compartmentalized collaboration.
2011 - Steve Jobs presented the Cupertino City Council details on the project:
- 176-acre campus
- House 13,000 employees in 2.8M SF
- Café for 3,000 sitting employees
- 1,000-seat auditorium
- Fitness center
- Dedicated generator plant powered by natural gas and solar panels.
2013 - After a six-hour debate the Cupertino City Council unanimously approved Apple's plans.
2013 - Total cost of the project was estimated to be near $5B.
2015 - 60 Minutes gets an inside look at the new Apple Campus 2 with Tim Cook and Jony Ive, revealing that:
- The construction crew is currently about 3,500 people.
- The campus is wider than the Pentagon.
- 80% of the grounds will be landscaped, and will produce fruits and vegetables served in the cafeteria.
- A natural ventilation system on the roof will allow the building to go without heating or air conditioning for nine months of the year.
- It consists of 3,000 sheets of curved glass imported from Germany that will wrap around the entire building.
- It has more than 10,980 parking spaces, including 300 or more EV charging stations.
- It has 600k SF of research facilities.
2017 - Scheduled completion.
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Video Sources:
- Maxim Crane Featured on 60 Minutes
- Apple Campus 2: Official Video HD
- Steve Jobs presents the plan for the new Apple Campus (2011)
- Apple Campus 2 construction video update
- Apple Campus 2 February 2016
- Steve Jobs Presents to the Cupertino City Council (6/7/11)
- 60 Minutes - Apple’s Tim Cook with Charlie Rose
