Miniature model offers detailed look at Apple's 'spaceship' Campus 2

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple's proposed new corporate campus in Cupertino, Calif., has been laid out in three dimensions, with a new miniature rendering commissioned by the company to show off the facilities.

Campus 2
Photo credit: Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group.


Apple granted an exclusive look at the rendering of its proposed headquarters to the San Jose Mercury News. Executives from the company also spoke with the newspaper about the project, which they hope will be approved by the Cupertino City Council this Tuesday.

The project is laid out in what was described as a "living-room sized model of the building," showing great detail on what Apple promises to do with its new circular facility. Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer spoke of the "energy and the love and the attention to detail" that the company has put into its proposed plans.

Campus 2
Photo credit: Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group.


Most recently, the project was given the go-ahead by the Cupertino City Planning Commission last week, setting the stage for its appearance before the city council this week. The council is widely expected to grant final approval at its Oct. 15 meeting.

Also showing off the miniature model to the media was Dan Whisenhunt, director of real estate and facilities for Apple. He touted the green and sustainable nature of the project, which will convert a current location that is mostly asphalt into an environmentally friendly facility that will be 80 percent open space and parkland.

Campus 2
Photo credit: Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group.


"This will be one of the most environmentally sustainable developments on this scale anywhere in the world," Whisenhunt said. "A building like this will use 30 percent less energy than a typical corporate building in the Valley. And that's 100-percent renewable energy, which is unheard of on this scale."

The proposed facility would be located between North Wolfe Road and North Tantau Avenue, north of the Juniper Serra Freeway and south of East Homestead Road. The company hopes to complete it in 2015.

The Campus 2 project was first presented in 2011 by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in what proved to be his last public appearance. Apple's co-founder said at the time that he believed Apple could "have a shot at building the best office building in the world. I think it could be that good." He also said the facility would look "a little like a spaceship landed."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 63
    Absolutely beautiful architecture. I'm very excited to see this structure built and used.
  • Reply 2 of 63

    How would I go about stealing obtaining an indefinite look at this miniature?

  • Reply 3 of 63
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    It looks like, to go to almost anyone else's office, you have to go for a walk in the park (unless you go all the way around which would be inefficient). Steve Jobs used to like walking to help him think (according to biography).
  • Reply 4 of 63
    ipilyaipilya Posts: 195member

    The design has grown on me... and I honestly think its stellar now. I would love to see it when its finished.

  • Reply 5 of 63
    akqiesakqies Posts: 768member
    Absolutely beautiful architecture. I'm very excited to see this structure built and used.

    It is beautiful but it seems like a huge pain to walk around. I hope that the underground portion that will house a walkway across the ring will also include a moving sideway to help speed up that process.
  • Reply 6 of 63
    "How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?" - Zoolander
  • Reply 7 of 63
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Typically Apple, having the competition running around in circles.
  • Reply 8 of 63
    Kind of looks like they buried a giant new MacPro in the ground. Now im picturing that with every MacPro you buy there are thousands of tiny apple employees running around on the inside to make it all work.
  • Reply 9 of 63

    I do really like the simplicity, symmetry and design of the building....

     

    Just when I first saw it I thought it could have had almost the same design and look from the ground,

    had it instead been shaped like a giant stylized Apple Logo instead....

     

    I imagine they thought of and rejected that when in planning and I'm sure it would be harder and more expensive to build but still.....

     

    Everyone would know when they flew over just what company built this....heck you might even be able to see if from space.

     

    I guess that would make resale a bit harder but I doubt they are planning to sell it off anytime soon.

  • Reply 10 of 63
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    akqies wrote: »
    It is beautiful but it seems like a huge pain to walk around. I hope that the underground portion that will house a walkway across the ring will also include a moving sideway to help speed up that process.

    I'm sure they will group teams together within an arc segment. No one but SVP, VP, and Cook needs to walk the whole building.
  • Reply 11 of 63
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by akqies View Post





    It is beautiful but it seems like a huge pain to walk around. I hope that the underground portion that will house a walkway across the ring will also include a moving sideway to help speed up that process.

     

    It's California, they can walk across the inner courtyard. Maybe they'll run a few zip lines.

  • Reply 12 of 63
    Wheres the parking lot? Underground? heh
  • Reply 13 of 63
    takeotakeo Posts: 445member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SixPenceRicher View Post



    Absolutely beautiful architecture. I'm very excited to see this structure built and used.

     

    Not so sure I'd go so far as to call it Architecture. But it's an okay sculpture I guess. If you like frisbees.

  • Reply 14 of 63
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ascii View Post



    It looks like, to go to almost anyone else's office, you have to go for a walk in the park (unless you go all the way around which would be inefficient). Steve Jobs used to like walking to help him think (according to biography).

    You stay still. The entire building rotates and brings the destination to you

  • Reply 16 of 63
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I can't wait to see it take off! :D
  • Reply 17 of 63
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by akqies View Post





    It is beautiful but it seems like a huge pain to walk around. I hope that the underground portion that will house a walkway across the ring will also include a moving sideway to help speed up that process.

    Your comment has very little, if any, thought behind it. How would or could office access in a square building be better than office access in a circular one? Think different for a change. A circular building would actually give you better and faster access to other offices.

  • Reply 18 of 63
    It indeed stunning. Did they use a 3D printer to make the model? Would have been possible from the plans.
  • Reply 19 of 63
    akqiesakqies Posts: 768member
    realistic wrote: »
    Your comment has very little, if any, thought behind it. How would or could office access in a square building be better than office access in a circular one? Think different for a change. A circular building would actually give you better and faster access to other offices.

    That's not remotely true. Put the square footage of the above ground sections of the ring into a square 4 story building and then tell me how it would take longer to walk between the two furthest point of a square than it would for a ring.
  • Reply 20 of 63
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by akqies View Post





    That's not remotely true. Put the square footage of the above ground sections of the ring into a square 4 story building and then tell me how it would take longer to walk between the two furthest point of a square than it would for a ring.

     

    Depends on how you're making this square. If you keep the courtyard in the middle, then it's going to take longer with a square. I think you're taking out the courtyard to make the square (creating lots of sad office space nowhere near a window).

     

    Walking across the courtyard will be pretty nice. We're talking about a part of the world where the weather is nearly perfect almost every day of the year.

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