Apple's 'spaceship' campus larger than Pentagon, Empire State Building
Apple's plans for a massive new campus in Cupertino, Calif., call for a giant structure that's larger than the U.S. Pentagon and New York City's fabled Empire State Building.
The iPhone maker's proposed facility, dubbed a "spaceship" because of its circular design, was put to scale on Tuesday by Mac Observer. The details were made available last week, when the City of Cupertino provided more information about Apple's 2.8 million square-foot circular office building.
The diameter of Apple's new campus would be 1,615 feet, which would span farther than the Pentagon's diameter of 1,566 feet. The distance across the massive circle is also greater than the height of the Empire State Building, at 1,250 feet.
In a comparison graphic, other objects were laid over the plans for Apple's campus to provide perspective. It shows the facility with a cruise ship, U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier, a blimp, a World War II battleship, and a supertanker laid over them.
Apple's spaceship campus stretches farther across in than all of those objects. Longest object included in the illustration is a supertanker; the "Seawise Giant" tanker was the longest ship ever built, at 1,504 feet.
The new office, dubbed "Apple Campus 2," would comprise about 2.8 million square feet, and would include an auditorium that would hold 1,000 people, and new research facilities including 300,000 square feet. The facility would be able to support up to 13,000 employees.
The plans were first revealed by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs himself in June, when he made an appearance at a Cupertino City Council meeting to pitch the project. He described the main office building as looking "a little like a spaceship landed."
Though formal approval must still be obtained, Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong has publicly said there is "no chance" that the council would not approve the structure. Neighboring cities have also given positive responses on the proposed project.
Apple would build its mega-campus on a 150-acre property the company already owns in Cupertino. The land was partially acquired from rival device maker Hewlett-Packard, who vacated its 98-acre campus in the summer of 2010.
If all goes according to plan, Apple hopes to open its new campus in 2015. Until then, the company is said to have leased 373,000 square feet of office space in Cupertino to house 1,300 workers.
The iPhone maker's proposed facility, dubbed a "spaceship" because of its circular design, was put to scale on Tuesday by Mac Observer. The details were made available last week, when the City of Cupertino provided more information about Apple's 2.8 million square-foot circular office building.
The diameter of Apple's new campus would be 1,615 feet, which would span farther than the Pentagon's diameter of 1,566 feet. The distance across the massive circle is also greater than the height of the Empire State Building, at 1,250 feet.
In a comparison graphic, other objects were laid over the plans for Apple's campus to provide perspective. It shows the facility with a cruise ship, U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier, a blimp, a World War II battleship, and a supertanker laid over them.
Apple's spaceship campus stretches farther across in than all of those objects. Longest object included in the illustration is a supertanker; the "Seawise Giant" tanker was the longest ship ever built, at 1,504 feet.
The new office, dubbed "Apple Campus 2," would comprise about 2.8 million square feet, and would include an auditorium that would hold 1,000 people, and new research facilities including 300,000 square feet. The facility would be able to support up to 13,000 employees.
The plans were first revealed by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs himself in June, when he made an appearance at a Cupertino City Council meeting to pitch the project. He described the main office building as looking "a little like a spaceship landed."
Though formal approval must still be obtained, Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong has publicly said there is "no chance" that the council would not approve the structure. Neighboring cities have also given positive responses on the proposed project.
Apple would build its mega-campus on a 150-acre property the company already owns in Cupertino. The land was partially acquired from rival device maker Hewlett-Packard, who vacated its 98-acre campus in the summer of 2010.
If all goes according to plan, Apple hopes to open its new campus in 2015. Until then, the company is said to have leased 373,000 square feet of office space in Cupertino to house 1,300 workers.
Comments
It may be wider in diameter than the Pentagon, but I'm not sure that you could accurately describe it as larger... given that the Pentagon houses 6.5 million square feet... almost 2.5 times the size of Apple Campus 2.
I was just going to post that same info. But it is larger in diameter, even though it has less volume.
And will it actually look that romantic?
It may be wider in diameter than the Pentagon, but I'm not sure that you could accurately describe it as larger... given that the Pentagon houses 6.5 million square feet... almost 2.5 times the size of Apple Campus 2.
Even the Empire State Building, at 2,768,591 square feet, is only 1.8% smaller than the new Apple campus.
Is there any information about the cost of this structure?
And will it actually look that romantic?
Yea it comes with a runner girl and a girl is short skirt. That's why they have the glass walls. Though I am not sure how that impacts productivity.
Also, how the hell do you get around that super long ship. Do they have sideways elevators? Or are there car lanes on the ship. It would suck to have to walk from one end to the other.
Or better yet, will there be segue ways in the apple campus? Or better yet, moving walkways. That would be really pro. The iWalk.
The romantic drawings emphasize the dramatic skies and pretty trees and grasslands, because the building itself is certainly nothing to write home about, although the central park could be nice for workers--no one will be very far from some windows.
Nonetheless, it is kind of disappointing---a lost opportunity. I am wondering if in thirty years it will look as plain and deadly as Saarinen's 50s design for the huge new GM headquarters, which was done in the "correct" simplified modern style that supposedly expressed progressive industrialism. But it now looks boring, plain and uninviting in its relentless, unadorned regularity and minimalism.
(My guess is that it's being precisely, if slightly smaller, than the Pentagon was no accident.)
Hey!! I too want to work at the 300,000 square feet research facility.
Apple prefers to call it Steve Wonka's Magic Factory.
(My guess is that it's being precisely, if slightly smaller, than the Pentagon was no accident.)
In what sense is it slightly smaller than the Pentagon??
Also, how the hell do you get around that super long ship. Do they have sideways elevators? Or are there car lanes on the ship. It would suck to have to walk from one end to the other.
SERIOUSLY. Do any of you have any idea what the second dimension is? Even Flatworlders would laugh at your shortsightedness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pentagon#Layout
In what sense is it slightly smaller than the Pentagon??
I think the other person meant slightly LARGER than the Pentagon (in diameter).
Imagine how much bigger this would have been if Apple had been able to swing buying those apartments...
I think what eventually will happen is the owner of those apartments will sell after the Apple HQ is built for top dollar back to Apple. I'd do the exact same thing. Even if Apple doesn't want to buy, the apartment owner will own some of the most desirable housing in the entire area.
If Apple does eventually buy that complex, they could always demolish it and build something there.
It reminds me of the condo owners in San Francisco that purchased right by the old Hwy 280 in the 80's near the old China Basin area. They were (relatively) dirt cheap and no one wanted to live there with a double-decker 20-feet outside their window and no sunlight. The 1989 earthquake comes, they remove the freeway, and within a matter of months those condos quadrupled in price.
That apartment owner was smart to not sell.
Besides, until they actually break ground, a lot of things can happen between now and then!
I think what eventually will happen is the owner of those apartments will sell after the Apple HQ is built for top dollar back to Apple. I'd do the exact same thing. Even if Apple doesn't want to buy, the apartment owner will own some of the most desirable housing in the entire area.
If Apple does eventually buy that complex, they could always demolish it and build something there.
It reminds me of the condo owners in San Francisco that purchased right by the old Hwy 280 in the 80's near the old China Basin area. They were (relatively) dirt cheap and no one wanted to live there with a double-decker 20-feet outside their window and no sunlight. The 1989 earthquake comes, they remove the freeway, and within a matter of months those condos quadrupled in price.
That apartment owner was smart to not sell.
Besides, until they actually break ground, a lot of things can happen between now and then!
Surely the apartment owner has maximum leverage over Apple prior to the start of construction (or final planning approval). Once the circular building is built that additional land is worth significantly less in terms of development appeal because you can only use it at that point to add some ancillary buildings/car parks etc that. Acquiring it now on the other hand allows you to either build a larger spaceship, or position the spaceship more centrally on the parcel etc.