Full scale segment of Apple's Campus 2 'spaceship' facade revealed in photos

Posted:
in General Discussion edited July 2014
A pair of photos published to the Web on Friday claim to show a full-size segment of the glass and steel facade bound for Apple's Campus 2 "spaceship" building in Cupertino.


Source: iFun


The pictures, supposedly taken on the grounds of contractor Josef Gartner in Germany, show a small slice of the main "spaceship" structure's facade built to scale for a materials and assembly demonstration, reports iFun.

While the partially constructed section is only a small part of the overall build, it serves to illustrate the massive scale on which Apple is building. The publication points out that the segment's curvature, nearly imperceptible in the photos, can be used to gauge the structure's final size.




It is unclear if the steel "fin" -- an eave structure with integrated air vent -- is functional, as the internals are covered by an end piece, but the external construction is in line with Apple's architectural plans.

As seen below, the design incorporates a recessed ventilation port with louvers near the curved glass wall, which is said to offer free-flowing air to cut down on heating and cooling costs. According to Apple's plan, identical structures will ring the building on all four floors.


Screenshot of Campus 2 presentation video. | Source: Apple


Also seen in the model are what appears to be monolithic glass panels, curved to fit into the main structure's circular design. In a video presented to the Cupertino City Council last October, Foster + Partners architect Stefan Behling noted the use of huge bowed glass sections will be an architectural first, saying even the planned glazing techniques have never been used before.

Preliminary construction of Apple's Campus 2 site is well underway, with an aerial photo yesterday showing progress being made on the foundation's retaining wall and underground levels. If all goes according to plan, CEO Tim Cook said the company expects to move into the "spaceship" by 2016.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    macvictamacvicta Posts: 346member
    Hope we can get little desktop replicas of the spaceship campus.
  • Reply 2 of 18
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Love this coverage.
    Please sir%u2026 May I have more?
  • Reply 3 of 18
    rmb0037rmb0037 Posts: 142member
    First trip to Cali will be to see this campus in 2016 (hopefully)
  • Reply 4 of 18
    sandertsandert Posts: 1member
    Those louvres are already functional because of there shape and material/colour. Providing shade for floors under it and reflecting daylight deeper into the building to floors above it. By using white anodized metal panels reflection properties are enhanced and even the underside helps reflecting diffuse daylight deep in to the building.

    The also hide rails for window washers equipment, i think

    The also hide the connections for the 12-16m long curved glass panels ( maybe reduced now to 8m, i think, looking at the mock-up) which is absolutely insane for glass panel sizes.
    Especially because the are curved and not straight!!!!! And vertically only separated by silicone joints.

    Of course they will also incorporate the ventilation system as shown but then with a heat recovery box i think.
  • Reply 5 of 18
    radster360radster360 Posts: 546member
    macvicta wrote: »
    Hope we can get little desktop replicas of the spaceship campus.
    I think they will have that available at the gift shop at the end of the tour! :-) Kidding aside, I would love to work at this facility! Maybe Apple can license the plan to Legos and they can have a kit.
  • Reply 6 of 18
    macvicta wrote: »
    Hope we can get little desktop replicas of the spaceship campus.

    A LEGO version would be cool.

    Edited: Should have read all of the above first.
  • Reply 7 of 18
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    They should name the building for Steve. Though I bet he left instructions that it shouldn't be.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    They should name the building for Steve. Though I bet he left instructions that it shouldn't be.

    They already honour him on their employment page.
  • Reply 9 of 18
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by MacVicta View Post

    Hope we can get little desktop replicas of the spaceship campus.

     

    Bet they’re only available at the Company Store.

  • Reply 10 of 18
    Is it...alive?
  • Reply 11 of 18
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    So built (purchased) in Germany? Perhaps this is a way to spend some of that overseas cash, presuming the import duties are less than US income tax if Apple were to move the money here.
  • Reply 12 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    After construction is complete, the outer ring will accelerate, creating a quantum time space discontinuity field (similar to the RDF) which will allow Jony Ive to travel back and forth in time to bring back materials like transparent aluminium for use in upcoming products.
  • Reply 13 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    thrang wrote: »
    So built (purchased) in Germany? Perhaps this is a way to spend some of that overseas cash, presuming the import duties are less than US income tax if Apple were to move the money here.

    Wouldn't Apple pay the contractor, not the subcontractor?
  • Reply 14 of 18
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post





    Wouldn't Apple pay the contractor, not the subcontractor?

    I'm sure if it benefitted them to pay directly from offshore money, they would.

  • Reply 15 of 18

    Does this mean that the building is being manufactured in Germany and assembled in the USA? How sad that Apple couldn't get the whole thing built in the USA. They're treating the thing like a Mac Pro computer. The parts are coming from outside the country and being assembled here.

  • Reply 16 of 18
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Smallwheels View Post

    Does this mean that the building is being manufactured in Germany and assembled in the USA? How sad that Apple couldn't get the whole thing built in the USA. They're treating the thing like a Mac Pro computer. The parts are coming from outside the country and being assembled here.

     

    Well, in a competition between German engineering and Chinese engineering...

  • Reply 17 of 18
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    Does this mean that the building is being manufactured in Germany and assembled in the USA? How sad that Apple couldn't get the whole thing built in the USA. They're treating the thing like a Mac Pro computer. The parts are coming from outside the country and being assembled here.

    Actually, from what I've read, only the glass will be manufactured in Germany, and that because there's no other country where curved window glass like this with the required specifications can be made.

    As for payments, the normal deal is for Apple to pay the general contractor, who pays the subcontractors. If the general contractor is a US firm (and even a foreign firm would have to have a branch in the US), the money is paid in the US. So no tax dodges from the construction of this project.
  • Reply 18 of 18
    imatimat Posts: 208member
    Uglier than i first thought.
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