Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Full scale segment of Apple's Campus 2 'spaceship' facade revealed in photos

Source: iFun

A pair of photos published to the Web on Friday claim to show a full-size segment of the glass and steel facade bound for Apple's Campus 2 "spaceship" building in Cupertino.

The pictures, supposedly taken on the grounds of contractor Josef Gartner in Germany, show a small slice of the main "spaceship" structure's facade built to scale for a materials and assembly demonstration, reports iFun.

While the partially constructed section is only a small part of the overall build, it serves to illustrate the massive scale on which Apple is building. The publication points out that the segment's curvature, nearly imperceptible in the photos, can be used to gauge the structure's final size.

It is unclear if the steel "fin" — an eave structure with integrated air vent — is functional, as the internals are covered by an end piece, but the external construction is in line with Apple's architectural plans.

As seen below, the design incorporates a recessed ventilation port with louvers near the curved glass wall, which is said to offer free-flowing air to cut down on heating and cooling costs. According to Apple's plan, identical structures will ring the building on all four floors.

Screenshot of Campus 2 presentation video. | Source: Apple

Also seen in the model are what appears to be monolithic glass panels, curved to fit into the main structure's circular design. In a video presented to the Cupertino City Council last October, Foster + Partners architect Stefan Behling noted the use of huge bowed glass sections will be an architectural first, saying even the planned glazing techniques have never been used before.

Preliminary construction of Apple's Campus 2 site is well underway, with an aerial photo yesterday showing progress being made on the foundation's retaining wall and underground levels. If all goes according to plan, CEO Tim Cook said the company expects to move into the "spaceship" by 2016.