Exclusive March aerial tour of Apple Inc's Campus 2 shows 'Spaceship' Ring, tunnel, theater progress

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2015
Apple's Campus 2 mega-project continues to progress on its "Spaceship" Ring, where concrete panels are filling out a floor. Tunnels that will connect to parking garages are emerging, the first parking structure is getting its finishing steps before the installation of solar panels.

Apple Campus 2 March 15Apple Campus 2 in March 2015, viewed from the south


In just over a month since we last examined the site's progress in early February, work on Apple Campus 2 has maintained its aggressive schedule.





The Ring connects to a tunnel structure that will replace Pruneridge Avenue, which formerly crossed through the site. The new underground roadway will also route vehicles toward two above ground, four story parking structures, the first of which is nearly complete apart from a top decking of solar panels--despite being just bare earth back in September and only beginning to rise in October.

Auditorium lobby rounding out

Just north of recently demolished Ridgeview Court 1 site, Apple's underground theater is now taking form, with its circular lobby area now rounding the bend. The north section, which is currently a large excavated hole, will be developed into a theater. Construction permits indicate that the auditorium complex will cost around $161 million to complete.


Underground theater complex


The theater site will include a 120,000 sq ft "assembly space" with seating for 1,000, kitchen facilities and a large lobby area. In September, the theater excavation was a shallow pit (below), just south of Ridgeview Court 3, which is the last major building within the site that has not yet been demolished.

Campus 2 September 2014 Theater


Apple Campus 2

Expected occupation by the end of next year

Granted final approval just a year and a half ago ago, Apple's Campus 2 project is rapidly moving toward its occupancy goal of 2016.

Apple's cofounder Steve Jobs unveiled the huge project in 2011, noting that the central 2.8-million-square-foot "Spaceship" structure would house at least 12,000 employees, surrounded by bucolic landscaping including orchards of fruit trees and other greenery, featuring open space and walking paths to reclaim most of the 150-acre plot previously covered by asphalt parking lots.

Campus 2 Ring


Campus 2 open space


See previous coverage on AppleInsider of Apple Campus 2 and the current Infinite Loop headquarters, or our other articles on drones. Viewers interested in the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ can read more about the device or pick one up here.

Note: Readers should be aware that Apple's Campus 2 site is extremely hazardous to photograph using an aerial drone, in part because the site is so large it is nearly impossible to fly over even one quarter of the site within constant visual or radio contact using a consumer drone, and in part because the site is partially within an FAA restricted zone because of the nearby San Jose International Airport. There is constant traffic of low flying aircraft over the site. We strongly encourage inexperienced aerial drone pilots not to attempt to fly in or around the site.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 33
    Looking good.

    Enjoyed the music. Looking forward to the trees being planted.
  • Reply 2 of 33
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,239member
    Is the roof going to be solar panels? The black roof looks amazing in the rendering, and I hope the finished building looks just as amazing.
  • Reply 3 of 33
    danielswdanielsw Posts: 906member

    I've enjoyed this coverage of Apple Campus 2 construction.

     

    Hopefully, someone will also provide similar coverage of Tesla's Giga Factory when that gets going.

     

    I envision a "beautiful friendship" between the two companies.

  • Reply 4 of 33

    I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated.  It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus.  I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos.  The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go.  People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof.  I hope it serves Apple well in the future.  It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that.  I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency.

  • Reply 5 of 33
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated.  It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus.  I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos.  The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go.  People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof.  I hope it serves Apple well in the future.  It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that.  I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency.

    We had a discussion about the distance from the parking to the main office a while back on AI and I had wondered if there would be a moving walkway or Disney-esque tram but the consensus was 'walking was healthy'.
  • Reply 6 of 33
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    Gosh. The older building was cosy. Most iphone and os X Devs were in one building as was/is johnny Ive.

    The new building - well people could spend their days walking to meetings.
  • Reply 7 of 33
    aquia33aquia33 Posts: 70member

    The progress on the new Apple Hq. is impressive. I wonder what innovation they have up their sleeve for moving people to and from the parking garage to the Hq. bldg.? With the influence Mr Iger (Disney, a master in moving people)  and previously Jimi Heselden  (Segway) I suspect an elegant, innovative, integrated solution.

  • Reply 8 of 33
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    aquia33 wrote: »
    [SIZE=10px]The progress on the new Apple Hq. is impressive. I wonder what innovation they have up their sleeve for moving people to and from the parking garage to the Hq. bldg.? With the influence Mr Iger (Disney, a master in moving people)  and previously Jimi Heselden  (Segway) I suspect an elegant, innovative, integrated solution.[/SIZE]

    Walk.
  • Reply 9 of 33
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    When does this building open? Specifics I'm after. Best guess of month and year for ribbon cut?

  • Reply 10 of 33
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post

     

    When does this building open? Specifics I'm after. Best guess of month and year for ribbon cut?




    Not even Apple knows the exact date, as large scale construction is often at the mercy of unforeseen events that may delay the date of the planned opening.

     

    That said, there is a clue in the article:

     

    Quote:

    "Granted final approval just a year and a half ago ago, Apple's Campus 2 project is rapidly moving toward its occupancy goal of 2016."


     

    Moreover, Apple mentioned that they hoped construction would be complete by Summer 2016 in Submittal 6, as presented to the city of Cupertino.

     

    Thus, a fair guess would be November or December 2016. I'm guessing it would take a couple of months for operations and corporate IT to prep the building for its first inhabitants. 

     

    For sure, the building complex will open in phases, it will not have 10,000 employees moving in on Day One. They will have a better target date about two months before move-in. Plant operations, corporate IT, and move teams would know the target date around that timeframe.

  • Reply 11 of 33
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Steffen Jobbs View Post

     

    I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated.  It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus.  I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos.  The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go.  People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof.  I hope it serves Apple well in the future.  It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that.  I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency.


     

    That's the thing, not all of the departments will be under one roof!!!  The Original Apple Campus is not going anywhere.  This new location gets all the Apple Employee's that aren't there, that are scattered around in a bunch of other buildings while still having space to grow even more.   It may be a large place.  Large enough to hold 12,0000 people in, but it's not like it's a 150 story building!!!  It's not a single building.  Apple has locations all around the world.  Apple is expanding all over.   People have been saying Apple will be in a Downfall for years and yet they keep growing.   It was just a few years ago where Apple just got worth more then Exon the #1 most valuable company for a short period,  yet NOW, Apple is double them!!!

  • Reply 12 of 33
    tdknoxtdknox Posts: 82member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Steffen Jobbs View Post

     

    People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof.  I hope it serves Apple well in the future.  


    I don't think everyone will be in that building. I know of several groups that I'm 99% sure will not be in that building.

  • Reply 13 of 33
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    tdknox wrote: »
    I don't think everyone will be in that building. I know of several groups that I'm 99% sure will not be in that building.

    I think they really like keeping engineering together. Might stay in IL.
  • Reply 14 of 33
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tdknox View Post

     

    I don't think everyone will be in that building. I know of several groups that I'm 99% sure will not be in that building.


     

     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by asdasd View Post





    I think they really like keeping engineering together. Might stay in IL.



    They won't all fit in Campus 2, and Infinite Loop is sticking around, as is the Bandley Drive complex, and the buildings in Austin. This is to solve the sprawl across Cupertino that they're dealing with right now, as they've basically got people everywhere. I get the impression that TC and the executive team will be in Campus 2, however.

  • Reply 15 of 33

     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Steffen Jobbs View Post

     

    I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated.  It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus.  I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos.  The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go.  People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof.  I hope it serves Apple well in the future.  It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that.  I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency.


     

    Pretty sure there is parking under the spaceship too. The parking along the freeway is overflow for the main building as well as primary parking for the buildings that will line the South side of the property. They are putting some separate R&D buildings there. I'm not sure if that structure is also parking for the theatre or if they will have parking in closer proximity for guests. 

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    Is the roof going to be solar panels? The black roof looks amazing in the rendering, and I hope the finished building looks just as amazing.

     

    The roof of the garage is to be solar panels. I have not seen anything about the roof of the spaceship being solar, just the garage. The black roof does look great as does the rest of the building. I cannot wait to see it completed. 

  • Reply 16 of 33
    Great article, well presented!

    Didn't know that Pruneridge Ave was going to tunnel under the property ...


    Odd ... Don't know why ... But the site tour reminds me of my granddaughter and oldest grandson on a warm summer evening -- a few years back ...


    [VIDEO]
  • Reply 17 of 33
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    Is the roof going to be solar panels? The black roof looks amazing in the rendering, and I hope the finished building looks just as amazing.



    Apparently so: "That translates to more than 750,000 square feet of space on the building’s roof, nearly all of which will be comprised of solar panels."

    http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/20/2974251/apple-headquarters-solar-arrays/

  • Reply 18 of 33
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by asdasd View Post



    Gosh. The older building was cosy. Most iphone and os X Devs were in one building as was/is johnny Ive.



    The new building - well people could spend their days walking to meetings.



    That is the sneaky plan to reduce health costs for the company: reduce that type II diabetes and pulmonary disease by getting people moving on their own two feet. Like the Apple Watch goosing people out of their seats every 50 minutes that Cook mentioned (and lauded).

  • Reply 19 of 33
    tdknox wrote: »
     
    I don't think everyone will be in that building. I know of several groups that I'm 99% sure will not be in that building.

    asdasd wrote: »
    I think they really like keeping engineering together. Might stay in IL.


    They won't all fit in Campus 2, and Infinite Loop is sticking around, as is the Bandley Drive complex, and the buildings in Austin. This is to solve the sprawl across Cupertino that they're dealing with right now, as they've basically got people everywhere. I get the impression that TC and the executive team will be in Campus 2, however.

    I remember trying to find Apple HQ (Bandley 1) in June of 1978 -- no street signs, construction everywhere, roads being paved ... We lived in Saratoga about 3 miles away ... I was unfamiliar with Cupertino -- but my wife, Lucy, prided herself on being a great explorer ... After riding around, with several stops to examine spoor, we finally found it ...

    It's kind of interesting that most of the early Apple buildings still exist (except for Taco Towers).

    Anyway, By the time Campus 2 is finished, Apple will have run out of office space again ... I suspect that something else is already in the planning stages!
  • Reply 20 of 33
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Great article, well presented!

    Didn't know that Pruneridge Ave was going to tunnel under the property ...


    Odd ... Don't know why ... But the site tour reminds me of my granddaughter and oldest grandson on a warm summer evening -- a few years back ...


    [VIDEO]

    What what? No iDevices? No texting? What kind of grand dad, are you? Tell them to stop jumping around and get texting! They look way too cheerful ;)
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