During the last two years of Steve Jobs’ life, alongside running and managing Apple, Pixar and other operations, he obsessively worked on the design and planning of Apple’s next headquarters. Co-workers at Pixar joked that the new campus was Jobs’ next film because he put so much time into it.
He envisaged a workplace that seamlessly blended the outdoors and indoors whilst enjoying a genuinely seasonal, natural Californian feel throughout. Its design aimed to encourage a collaborative spirit between employees, regardless of their rank.
With these lofty ideals and the industry-leading architects Foster + Partners behind him, he designed the striking ring-shaped Apple Park Campus. Combining stark minimalism with nature-centric extravagance, no material or custom element was too expensive.
Completely sustainably powered and designed to withstand all seasonal weather that California could throw at it, the campus utilises elements such as 9,000 carefully selected local trees, thousands of square metres of solar panelling and staggeringly extensive underground parking systems.
By taking over the remains of the Hewlett-Packard campus, and turning these vast open grounds into a system that perfectly utilises and enhances the space, Apple have provided a working ecosystem that echoes every last aspect that makes Apple Apple. That was Steve Jobs’ goal, and Apple has more than made it a reality.
This five billion-dollar project has redefined the design of corporate headquarters, inspiring us at 53 Quantum to put together an infographic detailing some of the amazing features and facts that make up this architectural marvel.