Apple Reveals More Details on Spaceship Campus [PICS]




Apple has updated its plans for a cutting-edge “spaceship”-like campus that resembles something you might find in an episode of The Jetsons.

More details about the construction of the eco-friendly Apple Campus 2 were posted online this week by the Cupertino, Calif. city council. The enormous second campus – which features a sleek, circular main building with glass surrounding the exterior – will fit 13,000 employees across a whopping three million square feet and is expected to open in 2015. It will also be in Cupertino, where Apple’s current corporate headquarters is located.

The new renderings show a dark-colored roof with photo-voltaic solar panels, a corporate auditorium, additional parking and a jogging path. Images were also updated to propose a 45,000 sq. ft. fitness center, which is 20,000 sq. ft. more than its original proposal. The fitness center is also now a level shorter.

Apple is known for its design experimentation, especially with large pieces of glass. Its iconic Lourve-like Fifth Avenue store in New York City has received global recognition for innovative design.

Late Apple founder Steve Jobs first announced the company’s expansion plans at a Cupertino town hall meeting in June: “It’s a little like a spaceship landed,” Jobs said.

“We’ve used our experience making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use,” Jobs added, in what was to be his last public appearance.

Earlier this year, Apple submitted a 175 acre development proposal to replace existing office and research buildings in the area – most of which was previously occupied by the Hewlett Packard (HP) campus. However, the proposal was met with criticism from the community. Gilbert Wong – the mayor of Cupertino – said the city would not likely approve the concept, but officials in nearby cities have voiced their opinion in favor of the construction.

In September, Cupertino held a town hall meeting to discuss environmental topics and alternatives that should be evaluated in the creation of the campus.

It’s unknown how much the structure will cost, but Apple Insider reported that the company’s capital expenditures in 2012 are expected to increase by $3.4 billion as it readies for projects including the Apple Campus 2 and a solar farm in North Carolina.

For latest renderings of the project, check out the images below.

Apple’s updated plans for its cutting-edge Apple Campus 2 design show four levels of offices, sprawling landscape, a cafeteria, corporate auditorium and a fitness center. The design shape is still the same as it was initially proposed back in June, with a sleek, circular main building and glass surrounding the exterior.

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