In the latest drone flyover video of Apple’s so-called “spaceship” campus, the true scale of the ambitious project has never been clearer.
The footage, uploaded to YouTube this week by drone enthusiast Duncan Sinfield, shows that the gargantuan circular structure is moving steadily toward completion, with significant progress made in the last five months alone.
The swish new headquarters will become the workplace of some 14,000 Apple employees when it opens its doors toward the end of this year or early next.
Besides the main building, the footage also gives us a look at what’ll be the circular entrance to the now-covered underground auditorium. We can also see its similarly shaped shiny roof which isn’t yet in place but sits close by.
Sinfield doesn’t specify what equipment he used for the video, though if it’s the same kit he used for his last spaceship flyover then we’re looking at a DJI Inspire 1 quadcopter with a Zenmuse X3 gimbal and camera.
As well as the main donut-like structure and underground auditorium, the campus grounds will also include a visitor center, and an R&D facility where Jony Ive and his team will likely shed blood, sweat and tears in an effort to come up with the next big hit for the company.
The new site, located on land once occupied by Hewlett-Packard, spreads across 176 acres. The main building includes a solar-panel roof and will feature office space across four floors. Fitness centers, dining facilities, and jogging paths weaving through its expansive grounds are also part of the plan.
Apple’s new HQ was designed by British architect Norman Foster, who worked closely on the project with Steve Jobs up until the Apple co-founder’s untimely death five years ago.