Apple fans will be beside themselves with heart-fluttering glee when they this news – the company’s so-called “spaceship” campus, currently under construction in Cupertino, is set to feature not only a full-fledged Apple Store and cafe, but also a rooftop observation deck affording what we presume will be a fine view of the spectacular main building.
The information comes courtesy of the Silicon Valley Business Journal, which this week uncovered details of the facility in documents sent recently to city planners by Apple. Previously submitted plans had suggested the possible inclusion of a visitor’s center, but these new details expand on the idea markedly.
The center is expected to include an expansive glass façade overlaid with a carbon-fiber roof featuring large skylights, the Business Journal said. Its 10,114-square-foot store will sit between a 2,386-square-foot cafe and similarly sized reception area, while both stairs and elevators will take visitors to the rooftop observation deck where they can marvel at the shiny new campus in all its donut-shaped glory. If you have a fear of heights, you should be OK – the viewing platform is only 23 feet up.
The documents reveal the tech titan’s intention to present the visitor’s center as the “public face of the Apple Campus 2 that reflects Apple’s business and design practices, and allows for a long-term presence in Cupertino.”
Opening hours for the facility appear to have already been decided: 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday, and 9am to 7pm on weekends.
The campus is expected to open its doors to Apple workers toward the end of 2016. Once finished, the176-acre site will include workspace across four floors for around 14,000 employees, an R&D facility, several fitness centers, dining facilities, an underground 1,000-seat auditorium, and expansive grounds comprising jogging paths and some 7,000 trees.
The futuristic-looking main building, which’ll be topped off with a solar-paneled roof, was the long-time ambition of company co-founder Steve Jobs, who pushed forward with the project right up until his death in 2011. The late Apple boss worked with acclaimed UK architect Norman Foster to arrive at the final design.
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