As Apple is gearing up for a major media event scheduled for the next Tuesday at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in its hometown of Cupertino, well-plugged in blogger Jim Dalrymple noticed the iPhone maker has also constructed its own building on the Flint Center grounds.
And thanks to enthusiasts like Sachin Patel who flew a drone over the building, we’ve now fully realized just how massive the secondary structure is — as in, it’s taller than the Flint Center itself!
I’ve included the footage after the break so give it a watch and join the conversation.
To give you a feel of the sheer size of the structure, the Flint Center itself has an approximate capacity of 2,405 attendees — excluding the similarly-sized new structure Apple has just built.
By comparison, the Yerba Buena Center has a capacity of 757 and the Apple Campus Town Hall has a capacity of 301. Clearly Apple has reserved a lot more extra space for the event than previous events held at the Yerba Buena Center and the Apple Campus Town Hall
Take a look at the drone video below, shared by AppleInsider and captured by a B&H Photo-powered DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ drone.
The Flint Center was the place late co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the Mac in 1984 and the Bondi Blue iMac in 1998, suggesting that the upcoming announcements will be among the most crucial in Apple’s history.
And here’s a video Patel’s drone captured.
And here’s a full resolution photo of the structure.
Speculation is now reaching fever pitch as to what the white box might be for.
The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple theorized the extra building could be a hands-on area that Apple typically has for attendees after the event.
Others like myself believe this could be a separate venue where U2 could perform live after the keynote, especially given the rumor that the Irish rock band has partnered with Apple to have its new album preloaded on every iPhone 6.
Or, maybe it’s a giant hands-on area for a rumored Apple wearable device (the iWatch, anyone?), which is said to make an appearance next Tuesday alongside new iPhones.
Finally, it could as well be a detailed replica of a home to showcase the HomeKit platform.
Another (distant) possibility: instead of separate iPhone (September) and iPad (October) events, there will be just one massive media event this year, which might explain the need for an additional structure on the Flint Center grounds.
And what do you think this building is for?
[Twitter via AppleInsider]