Latest Apple Park drone footage depicts massive atrium doors, landscaping progress

Posted:
in General Discussion edited November 2017
The latest drone footage of Apple Park shows what appears to be complete landscaping with a full pond inside the circular headquarters, and has the closest shots of the large atrium doors yet seen.




The video opens with a view of the newly opened visitor's center. It then cuts to a closeup of the massive doors to enter the main "spaceship" building.

All told, the entire campus is much more adorned with plant life than in previous footage, and as expected has progressed in other ways. For instance, the circular pond in the center of the campus is full, with paths up to and around it now complete.

Not all of the campus is as finished as the main buiding. There is still much in the way of construction activity near the fitness center, with terrain sculpting still ongoing.





On Feb. 22, Apple officially named the "spaceship" campus under construction. The entire facility is now called "Apple Park," with the 20-foot tall and 165 foot in diameter glass auditorium honoring one of the founders of the company and named the "Steve Jobs Theater."

Before the massive construction effort started, the area was Hewlett Packard's land, and was essentially completely paved over. Apple's demand for trees is reportedly putting pressure on the local market, forcing contractors to source from outside California. The final tree count is expected to approach 9,000, with apple, apricot, cherry, and persimmon trees dotting the landscape.

An environmentally-friendly design was paramount to Jobs's vision, and Apple's related Phase 2 project adds additional workspace adjacent to the main headquarters, and includes a small data center powered by the on-site solar farm, fuel cells, and other sources of renewable energy.

A new micro-grid installed on the campus is reportedly capable of delivering 17 megawatts of power from solar alone, and handling about 75 percent of the facility's power requirements. The solar installation is supplemented by Bloom Energy-provided fuel cells, similar to those installed at the North Carolina data center.

Apple held its first official event in Steve Jobs Theater on Sept. 12 with the unveiling of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    Steve would be proud
    LukeCagepaisleydiscoSolimacseekerstarwarslkrupp
  • Reply 2 of 14
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    1) This is coming along nicely. The fountain still isn't operational, but I wonder if they'll wait for the rest of the heavy machinery to leave the inner ring before they finally get that going so it will limit dirt and debris from getting in the water.

    2) I'm assuming that the area between the ring and Steve Jobs Theater has all the trees it's going to get. Should we expect native grasses so that it has an unobstructed view of the ring from inside the theater?

    jd_in_sb said:
    Steve would be proud
    This might be the first time a "If Steve Jobs were alive…" statement sounded reasonable.
    edited November 2017 radarthekatJinTechjony0pscooter63docno42
  • Reply 3 of 14
    Stunning, who would not be inspired working in a place like that....
    stantheman
  • Reply 4 of 14
    Soli said:
    1) This is coming along nicely. The fountain still isn't operational, but I wonder if they'll wait for the rest of the heavy machinery to leave the inner ring before they finally get that going so it will limit dirt and debris from getting in the water.

    2) I'm assuming that the area between the ring and Steve Jobs Theater has all the trees it's going to get. So, native grasses so that it has an unobstructed view of the ring from inside the theater?

    jd_in_sb said:
    Steve would be proud
    This might be the first a "If Steve Jobs were alive…" statement sounded reasonable.
    Oye! Oye!
  • Reply 5 of 14
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Was this video official Apple footage? It looked like the drone flew very close to the roof of the spaceship. 
  • Reply 6 of 14
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    paxman said:
    Was this video official Apple footage? It looked like the drone flew very close to the roof of the spaceship. 
    It's Matthew Roberts, who has been doing these monthly videos for 2–3 years, but maybe he has permission.
  • Reply 7 of 14
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Soli said:
    paxman said:
    Was this video official Apple footage? It looked like the drone flew very close to the roof of the spaceship. 
    It's Matthew Roberts, who has been doing these monthly videos for 2–3 years, but maybe he has permission.
    They have been getting slicker over time. I am just waiting for one that flies us right through the atrium doors and into the centre courtyard.  
    pscooter63
  • Reply 8 of 14
    mnbob1mnbob1 Posts: 269member
    The trees and other plants give a better perspective of how immense the main building really is. What a beautiful place Steve designed! No tall glass and steel structure but a wonderful place that is surrounded by native plants and trees, no acres of asphalt. A calming place that allows the employees of Apple to do what they do, Think Different.
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 9 of 14
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    paxman said:
    Soli said:
    paxman said:
    Was this video official Apple footage? It looked like the drone flew very close to the roof of the spaceship. 
    It's Matthew Roberts, who has been doing these monthly videos for 2–3 years, but maybe he has permission.
    They have been getting slicker over time. I am just waiting for one that flies us right through the atrium doors and into the centre courtyard.  
    I'm not sure if the drones and cameras have been updated (I assume it has), but the aerial cinematography and editing has definitely improved. Even at this stage I still look forward to the monthly videos.


    mnbob1 said:
    The trees and other plants give a better perspective of how immense the main building really is. What a beautiful place Steve designed! No tall glass and steel structure but a wonderful place that is surrounded by native plants and trees, no acres of asphalt. A calming place that allows the employees of Apple to do what they do, Think Different.
    It's very large. Unfortunately, its size plus all the hills they built up and all the trees they planted make it very hard to get a feel for the building when you're at street level. It just looks like any typical office building as the outside curve is so large you wouldn't even discern a curve unless looking at it and only the top 2 or 3 floors seem to ever show from that vantage point.

    I'm glad they built the new store and welcome center across the street so you can go up top to look over the park.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Stunning, who would not be inspired working in a place like that....
    Well, AI and other sites have published articles that purported to interview Apple employees who claim they will quit if they have to work there, that it will be a horrible work environment. Gotta have that negative angle you know.
    edited November 2017
  • Reply 11 of 14
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    mnbob1 said:
    What a beautiful place Steve designed!
    Actually the architect’s name is Norman. Norman Foster. Lord Norman Foster. 
  • Reply 12 of 14
    fred1 said:
    mnbob1 said:
    What a beautiful place Steve designed!
    Actually the architect’s name is Norman. Norman Foster. Lord Norman Foster. 
    Actually the firm said it was a collaborative project and not theirs. One of the lead architects:

    But he is quick to acknowledge that at every stage this was a collaborative project. ‘Everything in this theatre, every detail, everything you see around you, is a totally integrated collaboration with Jony Ive [Apple’s chief design officer] and his design studio. Over the last nine years, we have become almost one. We talk together all the time, sit and sketch. This is not a Foster + Partners building.’

    https://www.wallpaper.com/design/jony-ive-apple-park
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 13 of 14
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    fred1 said:
    mnbob1 said:
    What a beautiful place Steve designed!
    Actually the architect’s name is Norman. Norman Foster. Lord Norman Foster. 
    Actually the firm said it was a collaborative project and not theirs. One of the lead architects:

    But he is quick to acknowledge that at every stage this was a collaborative project. ‘Everything in this theatre, every detail, everything you see around you, is a totally integrated collaboration with Jony Ive [Apple’s chief design officer] and his design studio. Over the last nine years, we have become almost one. We talk together all the time, sit and sketch. This is not a Foster + Partners building.’

    https://www.wallpaper.com/design/jony-ive-apple-park
    OK, i stand corrected. Thanks for the link. But I still don’t see any Steves mentioned. I’m sure Steve Jobs had input, but it’s still a stretch to give him full credit. The same for the Apple Store on Park Avenue, NY.
  • Reply 14 of 14
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,384member
    The vast improvements to every aspect of Apple maps since it launched has been stunning.
    mnbob1 said:
    The trees and other plants give a better perspective of how immense the main building really is. What a beautiful place Steve designed! No tall glass and steel structure but a wonderful place that is surrounded by native plants and trees, no acres of asphalt. A calming place that allows the employees of Apple to do what they do, Think Different.
    And kudos to the current team for actually following through and executing the ambitious vision with no obvious compromises. A lesser company may have diluted, greatly downgraded, or cancelled the project all together.
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