Call me pedantic, but it's more of a ring. Or an infinite loop, if you prefer...
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's 'Spaceship' Campus Approved by Cupertino Planning Commission, Headed to City Council for Final Vote
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Call me pedantic, but it's more of a ring. Or an infinite loop, if you prefer...
Looks like a pretty round circle on my phone but I could be wrong, are you talking symbolic ?
If it turns out to be a giant MacPro then the majority of the building will be underground
The building is not a sphere. Planet Earth is a sphere. A baseball is a sphere.
This is a ring, or toroid, if you prefer.
Almost looks like the landing platform for a Flying Saucer
Let's just agree to call it the Touch ID campus.
This is the new Apple home button. Press to have access to all Apple goodness.
I think that was the entire plan. Pixar headquarters was designed similarly, when people walking from one place to another would constantly bump to each other because they all have to pass the same area in the middle, and they'd exchange ideas when they do, and the best ideas come from those encounters. So Jobs thought a campus needed people bumping to each other as much as possible.
Apple, just wait a little !!!
They should wait a couple of years to see if they are going to need it
Steve is not around and they may be only running on inertia. Big changes took place since that was envisioned.
Burger King built a sprawling headquarter in South Miami in the 90's and ended up being a big waste of money. They forecasted their needs wrong.
They should wait a couple of years to see if they are going to need it
Steve is not around and they may be only running on inertia. Big changes took place since that was envisioned.
Burger King built a sprawling headquarter in South Miami in the 90's and ended up being a big waste of money. They forecasted their needs wrong.
That building is not for the needs of Apple in 3 years. It's for their needs today. They keep renting independent buildings because they are constantly adding more people. So right now, people are working on too many different buildings all around Cupertino, which is bad.
It's a donut cushion, folks.
More Apple 'space' marketing genius.
"Holy ****! Our new building looks like a donut cushion??!!"
"Get on to Marketing "
"Hello. Marketing. You Schill-em, I'll Phil-em."
"Quick, Phil, the new building looks like a donut cushion. What are we going to do??!!!"
"Paint it white and call it a spaceship."
"But is looks like a donut cushion. No one will go for that."
"Change the proportions, get rid of the freckle in middle, Hay-Soos that's bad. Then have Steve to tell 'em it's a spaceship, everyone will believe him."
"Well, all right. But I don't think it'll work."
"Wait a year, then show them what it really looks like, and everyone will still call it a spaceship, because Space is cool."
"Phil, you're a genius."
"No problems. Somebody get me Dalrymple. Send him some Heineken. He'll do a Yep, for us."
More Apple 'space' marketing genius.
"Holy ****! Our new building looks like a donut cushion??!!"
"Get on to Marketing "
"Hello. Marketing. You Schill-em, I'll Phil-em."
"Quick, Phil, the new building looks like a donut cushion. What are we going to do??!!!"
"Paint it white and call it a spaceship."
"But is looks like a donut cushion. No one will go for that."
"Change the proportions, get rid of the freckle in middle, Hay-Soos that's bad. Then have Steve to tell 'em it's a spaceship, everyone will believe him."
"Well, all right. But I don't think it'll work."
"Wait a year, then show them what it really looks like, and everyone will still call it a spaceship, because Space is cool."
"Phil, you're a genius."
"No problems. Somebody get me Dalrymple. Send him some Heineken. He'll do a Yep, for us."
Pitched in June 2011...by the time this thing is completed, it will be 2020. Seriously. It will take at least 5 years to build.
You all recall (as the article states) how the price practically doubled from $3bill to $5bill AND is at least a year delayed. $10 says another billion will be added within 2 years of building.
You all recall (as the article states) how the price practically doubled from $3bill to $5bill AND is at least a year delayed. $10 says another billion will be added within 2 years of building.
Circle?
I, for one, think that they chose a circle just to be different and symbolic and nothing else.
A circular design is not very appropriate or efficient for any kind of building. If you look at the narrowness of the curved roofed area, the square footage they have there could probably be provided by a square of about 1/3 to 1/4 of that diameter (a square being one of the most efficient shapes in terms of usage and space utilization). That means also that the square would have 1/3 to 1/4 of circulation area. Than there is the question of all walls not being at right angles. All custom furniture. All custom glass.
This shape is also as un-green as it gets. Has about 10 times the exposed wall surface than a square which means 10 times cooling and heating loss. I am sure that they applied all kinds of green technology but imagine the savings using the same technologies on a square.
If it is the interior court yard they are after, there are rectangular court yard designs as well.
And, if it is symbolism (infinite loop!) they are after, that full-circular design should have included a "bite" out of the circle as they have it in their logo. That would mean a lot more "Apple" to me than this non-descript full circle. That bite would also create that special spatial condition for the main entry. As of now, I am just imagining somebody walking/driving around and around to find the main entry. Of course there will be roads and signs and such leading to the entry but that is just a bandage to cover up the situation that there is no visual point of main entry on this circle.
This generic full circle or ring does not say enough "Apple" to me.
I, for one, think that they chose a circle just to be different and symbolic and nothing else.
A circular design is not very appropriate or efficient for any kind of building. If you look at the narrowness of the curved roofed area, the square footage they have there could probably be provided by a square of about 1/3 to 1/4 of that diameter (a square being one of the most efficient shapes in terms of usage and space utilization). That means also that the square would have 1/3 to 1/4 of circulation area. Than there is the question of all walls not being at right angles. All custom furniture. All custom glass.
This shape is also as un-green as it gets. Has about 10 times the exposed wall surface than a square which means 10 times cooling and heating loss. I am sure that they applied all kinds of green technology but imagine the savings using the same technologies on a square.
If it is the interior court yard they are after, there are rectangular court yard designs as well.
And, if it is symbolism (infinite loop!) they are after, that full-circular design should have included a "bite" out of the circle as they have it in their logo. That would mean a lot more "Apple" to me than this non-descript full circle. That bite would also create that special spatial condition for the main entry. As of now, I am just imagining somebody walking/driving around and around to find the main entry. Of course there will be roads and signs and such leading to the entry but that is just a bandage to cover up the situation that there is no visual point of main entry on this circle.
This generic full circle or ring does not say enough "Apple" to me.
Last edited:
Was gonna say... looks like the new home button.
(No place like home... no place like home.)
Neither math nor logic supports your assertion.
Bolded: You're assuming a door will be placed where you want to leave the building and another door will be placed where you want to enter. You are making other assumptions as well, but I am not trying to berate anyone.
On topic. The building does look pretty darn cool.
I think the front center of the building in the picture says "main entry" quite well.
...and an Apple logo wouldn't make a very efficient building design. Plus, I think it looks like the ring around the fingerprint sensor myself.