Acclaimed architect Norman Foster to build Apple's new campus
Apple reportedly plans to incorporate its newly acquired 98-acre parcel in Cupertino, Calif., into a new corporate headquarters designed by famed architect Norman Foster.
According to El Economista (via Google Translate), the new "City of Apple" will become the future headquarters of the company. A main focus of the campus will be the environment, as the property will allegedly rely on renewable energy.
The report said that the new "city" will be modeled after innovations planned for the car-free city Masdar in Abu Dhabi. That city, currently under construction, is a carbon-neutral project in which Foster is also involved.
The publication also said that transit on Apple's new headquarters will be accomplished through a network of tunnels, allowing the surface areas to remain green.
"The City of Apple is one of the best kept secrets of the company," the report said. "It could be compared with the launch of [a] new iPhone or iPad."
In November it was revealed that Apple had purchased a 98 acre campus vacated by rival PC maker Hewlett-Packard. That property is adjacent to another 50 acres the company purchased in 2006.
30 St. Mary Axe in London, designed by Norman Foster.
Apple has not formally announced its plans for the new property in Cupertino, though the company spokesman Steve Dowling said Apple is "bursting at the seams" in its existing 57 buildings. The company has only started to use some of the existing buildings on the 50-acre purchase from 2006.
Foster is a 75-year-old British architect, and two-time winner of the Stirling Prize for excellence in architecture. With his firm Foster + Partners, he has created some of the most recognizable buildings in the world, including the Hearst Tower in New York City, and 30 St. Mary Axe in London.
According to El Economista (via Google Translate), the new "City of Apple" will become the future headquarters of the company. A main focus of the campus will be the environment, as the property will allegedly rely on renewable energy.
The report said that the new "city" will be modeled after innovations planned for the car-free city Masdar in Abu Dhabi. That city, currently under construction, is a carbon-neutral project in which Foster is also involved.
The publication also said that transit on Apple's new headquarters will be accomplished through a network of tunnels, allowing the surface areas to remain green.
"The City of Apple is one of the best kept secrets of the company," the report said. "It could be compared with the launch of [a] new iPhone or iPad."
In November it was revealed that Apple had purchased a 98 acre campus vacated by rival PC maker Hewlett-Packard. That property is adjacent to another 50 acres the company purchased in 2006.
30 St. Mary Axe in London, designed by Norman Foster.
Apple has not formally announced its plans for the new property in Cupertino, though the company spokesman Steve Dowling said Apple is "bursting at the seams" in its existing 57 buildings. The company has only started to use some of the existing buildings on the 50-acre purchase from 2006.
Foster is a 75-year-old British architect, and two-time winner of the Stirling Prize for excellence in architecture. With his firm Foster + Partners, he has created some of the most recognizable buildings in the world, including the Hearst Tower in New York City, and 30 St. Mary Axe in London.
Comments
This is good news. Foster is a great architect. The Hearst building in NYC is some of the best architecture in the city and it is my favorite building ever.
Great looking building. I assume it folds up at night when not in use
The concept has a ring of Disney about it, especially the subterranean access and emphasis on the looks above ground. I wonder if there will be a public element to this. It would be nice to visit Apple City, maybe a ride or two for us big kids
It would be like when Bart Simpson's class took a tour of the box factory, only cool.
Definitely architecture that stands out(in a good way).
Such a shame that a company of the future choses an architect from the past. BTW it's not very likely that Sir Norman himself will make the design or be even responsible for the design...
Doesn't your second sentence kind of undermine the first sentence?
Such a shame that a company of the future choses an architect from the past. BTW it's not very likely that Sir Norman himself will make the design or be even responsible for the design...
Who would you select then? Is he from the past merely because he is 75?
Such a shame that a company of the future choses an architect from the past. BTW it's not very likely that Sir Norman himself will make the design or be even responsible for the design...
Now that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Foster and Partners are the most famous architectural consultancy in the world, the team haven't developed for every major city in the world for nothing. "Architect from the past" - hilarious. You might like to check out some of their architecture "from the past" here - http://www.fosterandpartners.com/
Such a shame that a company of the future choses an architect from the past. BTW it's not very likely that Sir Norman himself will make the design or be even responsible for the design...
In what way is Norman Foster from the past? Does his age alone or his recent work suggest this?
Who would you select then? Is he from the past merely because he is 75?
That makes him, you know, practically dead. I'm just thankful they didn't choose Frank Gehry, who would have given them something bizarre and over-budget. They also could have selected IM Pei, whose work I suspect Steve admires. He is over 90. Working with him would have made Steve feel like a young sprout.
That makes him, you know, practically dead. I'm just thankful they didn't choose Frank Gehry, who would have given them something bizarre and over-budget. They also could have selected IM Pei, whose work I suspect Steve admires. He is over 90. Working with him would have made Steve feel like a young sprout.
Yeah who ever is the lead architect on this will have a lot of "fun" working with Steve. I.M. Pei and Russell Johnson famously butted heads over the design and acoustic engineering of the Meyerson Symphony hall in Dallas. Both were very strong willed and were unwilling to compromise. Somehow they worked it out because the building is beautiful and has some of the best acoustic properties of any concert hall in the world.
I imagine Jobs and "Architect X" will have a few disagreements.
Yeah who ever is the lead architect on this will have a lot of "fun" working with Steve. I.M. Pei and Russell Johnson famously butted heads over the design and acoustic engineering of the Meyerson Symphony hall in Dallas. Both were very strong willed and were unwilling to compromise. Somehow they worked it out because the building is beautiful and has some of the best acoustic properties of any concert hall in the world.
I imagine Jobs and "Architect X" will have a few disagreements.
IM Pei is completely form over function. Thank God Lord Foster's apparently been tipped for this and not that hack.
(Or they?ll just turn Infinite Loop into one of those crazy streets in two parts that don?t connect.)
I like the all-green idea, but if I worked there, I?d enjoy stepping outside between buildings more than going through tunnels.
Yeah who ever is the lead architect on this will have a lot of "fun" working with Steve. I.M. Pei and Russell Johnson famously butted heads over the design and acoustic engineering of the Meyerson Symphony hall in Dallas. Both were very strong willed and were unwilling to compromise. Somehow they worked it out because the building is beautiful and has some of the best acoustic properties of any concert hall in the world.
I imagine Jobs and "Architect X" will have a few disagreements.
Besides being a first-order aesthete where his products are concerned, Steve does fancy himself as being knowledgable on the subject of architecture. Given the size of the project, I suspect that the lead architectural firm will design something on the order of a master plan, with the details filled in by others.
(Or they’ll just turn Infinite Loop into one of those crazy streets in two parts that don’t connect.)
New address: 1 Mobius Strip.
One thing this article neglects to discuss is Apple's plans for Area 51, which they quietly, recently acquired from the government. It's not clear if they also acquired all the "technology" from Area 51, too, but some analysts expect that iPhone 6 may support personal teleportation services as part of an enhanced version of FaceTime.
I thought Apple IS the government..???