iSpaceship

iSpaceship designer talks Steve Jobs involvement, project’s scale and smart planning

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple has just finished demolishing the Campus 2 site after receiving an unanimous approval for the project from the Cupertino City Council last November. When construction completes in 2016, a whopping 12,000 Apple employees will move into their new 2.8 million square foot, ring-shaped home.

But how exactly was the massive glass and metal structure conceived, what was Steve Jobs involvement in the planning process and what influenced the four-story building's unique design which earned it the nickname of 'iSpaceship'?

Renowned architect Norman Foster, the chairman of Foster + Partners, led the project and talked all of the above, and then some more, in an interesting interview with Architectural Record, here are the highlights...

Aerial photo shows significant demolition progress being made at iSpaceship site

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 19, 2014

Apple's upcoming new headquarters, Campus 2 aka iSpaceship, has cleared the last remaining hurdle after the Cupertino City Council unanimously approved the project in November 2013. Apple has since started demolishing the site.

Ron Cervi, news and traffic reporter for KCBS, has posted a nice-looking aerial photograph of the site on his Instagram profile, showing significant demolition progress being made...

Cupertino City Council gives Apple green light to begin building new ‘Spaceship’ campus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Well, it's finally happened. After years of presentations, meetings and campaigning, Apple last night cleared the final hurdle in its 'Campus 2' initiative. The Cupertino City Council has given the iPad-maker the green light to begin construction on its so-called 'Spaceship' campus.

The final vote enabled Apple to enter into an official Development Agreement with the City of Cupertino. With its ancillary permits, the company is now allowed to begin demolition of current buildings on its lot, and it's set to receive its full set of building permits later today...

Feast your eyes on new iSpaceship renderings

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

Apple has overcome the last hurdle as the City of Cupertino in October approved the spectacular ring-shaped glass structure called Campus 2, also known as the iSpacehip project. Now, it's already over budget and behind schedule so don’t look forward to working in outer space before late-2015 or early-2016, when Campus 2 is slated for completion.

Wired has obtained a batch of new renderings which depict some interesting Campus 2 tidbits, including detailed shots of the interior design, including the cafeteria, the gym area, the upper level of the 1,000-person underground auditorium and even the parking garage. Jump past the fold for the full gallery...

Apple’s upcoming iSpaceship auditorium looks like a hovering flying saucer

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

Now that the City of Cupertino Council has approved Apple’s upcoming flying saucer-shaped, 2.8 million square feet corporate building called Campus 2 (or iSpaceship, informally), the company's slated to break ground real soon. The 4-story, eco-friendly building is already $2 billion over budget and should open by 2016.

The project includes a massive 1,000-person auditorium designed for hosting Apple's theatrical product unveilings. We've seen incredibly detailed mockups and the wonderful scale model by the world-renowned architect Sir Norman Foster and now come renderings of Apple's auditorium which looks like a flat saucer hovering over the ground...

Watch iSpaceship approval press conference vid

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 17, 2013

Apple's upcoming spaceship-shaped corporate building, called Campus 2 or iSpaceship, has cleared the last hurdle as the City of Cupertino Council approved the project. Encompasses more than 2.8 million square feet, Steve conceived iSpaceship to house office space, various amenities and roughly 12,000 employees (to put that in perspective, the city of Cupertino has a population of just over 60,000).

Cupertino Mayor Orrin Mahoney and Apple's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer spoke at a press conference yesterday, officially announcing the approval of the Apple Campus 2. They also filed a bunch of sometimes nonsensical questions, have a look after the jump...

Apple’s ‘Spaceship’ campus approved by Cupertino City Council

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

It looks like the brochures worked. Following the approval by the city's Planning Commission earlier this month, Apple began sending out pamphlets to Cupertino residents to garner support for its 'Spaceship' campus ahead of its final meeting with City Council.

Well that meeting took place last night, and the full Cupertino City Council gave its unanimous approval to the project. Pending any petitions for reconsideration, Apple has just one more hurdle left to clear—a final reading next month—before it can break ground...

Apple unveils detailed model of upcoming ‘Spaceship’ campus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Last week, Apple cleared another hurdle in its effort to land its 'Spaceship' campus in Cupertino by 2016, garnering a thumbs up from the city's planning commission. Now it just has to win the approval of city council, and it's home free.

And the company is pulling out all of the stops ahead of next week's city council vote. It's begun sending out brochures asking residents of Cupertino for their support, and earlier today, executives introduced a 3D model of the campus...

Apple’s iSpaceship campus clears another Cupertino hurdle toward 2016 landing

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 3, 2013

Apple's over-budget and behind-schedule proposed 'spaceship' campus took another step closer to reality Wednesday night. The plan first outlined in 2011 by Steve Jobs cleared the planning commission of Cupertino, Calif., Apple's homebase.

If no more hitches appear, the new Apple headquarters will go to city council later this month with final thumbs-up or thumbs-down in November...

Apple explains iSpaceship benefits to Cupertino’s economy

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Apple Tuesday released an 80-page report detailing the economic benefits of Apple's current headquarters. Along the way, the iPhone maker hopes a peek at the potential flood of cash headed toward local government coffers will help gain city approval of its upcoming iSpaceship campus.

Among the highlights: Apple maintains a local payroll of $159 million for 16,000 employees, making it the largest sole employer in Cupertino. Creation of Apple's Campus 2 (aka iSpaceship) would create 7,400 "new high-quality jobs." And, new campus construction will add 9,200 full-time construction jobs to the local economy over a three-year period, the report adds...

iSpaceship gains enhanced bike pathways and sidewalks

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Apple's flying saucer-shaped Campus 2 building, an upcoming 2,800,000 square foot 4-story glass structure and home to 12,000 employees, is coming online in 2016. The building was originally planned for completion in 2015, but the project got pushed back until 2016.

The reason: the initial three billion dollar budget has ballooned to as much as five billion dollars because of Steve Jobs's perfectionism. The company earlier in the month submitted revised plans. Published Wednesday, the documents reveal several previously unknown tidbits.

For starters, Apple employees working at Campus 2 will be able to enjoy unprecedented bike pathways and sidewalks depicted in a set of exquisitely rendered images...

Apple’s perfectionism could delay iSpaceship further as budget balloons to $5 billion

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 4, 2013

Apple's upcoming 2.8 million square foot circular glass structure, officially called Campus 2 and also known as iSpaceship, could face further delays because it is now reportedly $2 billion over budget. Originally estimated to cost a whopping $3 billion to build, the budget for the new home to about 12,000 employees has now skyrocketed to nearly five billion dollars, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Because of the risings construction costs, Apple’s Campus 2 could easily become an investor relations nightmare, the publication observes...