The city of Cupertino, where the headquarters of Apple is located, has posted new photos and plans for the “Apple Campus 2.” The proposed donut-shaped office is expected to be placed on 150 acres of land east of the company’s main office at 1 Infinite Loop.
Apple’s new four-storey, glass headquarters, which was described by Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs as a “spaceship,” is expected to hold at least 13,000 people and will include room for a 1,000-seat underground auditorium, about 300,000 square feet of underground and above-ground research facilities and an underground parking space. Apple will also be using an on-site power plant that uses natural gas and other clean sources to power the building.
Apple listed its objectives for the project, saying that the building is designed to “maximize efficiency and convenience” for its employees, create a “distinctive and inspiring 21st Century workplace,” and “exceed economic social and environmental sustainability goals through integrated design and development.”
Steve Jobs proposed the project to the city’s council in June, saying that the building could create “the best office building in the world.” The company’s current headquarters can only hold 2,800 people. As Apple hires more employees, it was forced to rent other buildings in its radius. Now, the company needs a new building but still wants to remain in Cupertino.
The Apple Campus 2 project is expected to be completed by 2015. From the renderings, it is clear that Apple is going to keep much of the outlying land natural and green, which will be welcomed by their employees and won’t hurt its cause in the coming hearings.
