Daniel Eran Dilger
Apple's Campus 2 mega-project continues to progress on its "Spaceship" Ring, where concrete panels are filling out a floor. Tunnels that will connect to parking garages are emerging, the first parking structure is getting its finishing steps before the installation of solar panels.
In just over a month since we last examined the site's progress in early February, work on Apple Campus 2 has maintained its aggressive schedule.
The Ring connects to a tunnel structure that will replace Pruneridge Avenue, which formerly crossed through the site. The new underground roadway will also route vehicles toward two above ground, four story parking structures, the first of which is nearly complete apart from a top decking of solar panels— despite being just bare earth back in September and only beginning to rise in October.
Auditorium lobby rounding out
Just north of recently demolished Ridgeview Court 1 site, Apple's underground theater is now taking form, with its circular lobby area now rounding the bend. The north section, which is currently a large excavated hole, will be developed into a theater. Construction permits indicate that the auditorium complex will cost around $161 million to complete.
The theater site will include a 120,000 sq ft "assembly space" with seating for 1,000, kitchen facilities and a large lobby area. In September, the theater excavation was a shallow pit (below), just south of Ridgeview Court 3, which is the last major building within the site that has not yet been demolished.
Expected occupation by the end of next year
Granted final approval just a year and a half ago ago, Apple's Campus 2 project is rapidly moving toward its occupancy goal of 2016.
Apple's cofounder Steve Jobs unveiled the huge project in 2011, noting that the central 2.8-million-square-foot "Spaceship" structure would house at least 12,000 employees, surrounded by bucolic landscaping including orchards of fruit trees and other greenery, featuring open space and walking paths to reclaim most of the 150-acre plot previously covered by asphalt parking lots.
See previous coverage on AppleInsider of Apple Campus 2 and the current Infinite Loop headquarters, or our other articles on drones. Viewers interested in the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ can read more about the device or pick one up here.
Note: Readers should be aware that Apple's Campus 2 site is extremely hazardous to photograph using an aerial drone, in part because the site is so large it is nearly impossible to fly over even one quarter of the site within constant visual or radio contact using a consumer drone, and in part because the site is partially within an FAA restricted zone because of the nearby San Jose International Airport. There is constant traffic of low flying aircraft over the site. We strongly encourage inexperienced aerial drone pilots not to attempt to fly in or around the site.
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33 Comments
Looking good. Enjoyed the music. Looking forward to the trees being planted.
Is the roof going to be solar panels? The black roof looks amazing in the rendering, and I hope the finished building looks just as amazing.
I've enjoyed this coverage of Apple Campus 2 construction.
Hopefully, someone will also provide similar coverage of Tesla's Giga Factory when that gets going.
I envision a "beautiful friendship" between the two companies.
I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated. It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus. I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos. The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go. People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof. I hope it serves Apple well in the future. It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that. I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency.
[quote name="Steffen Jobbs" url="/t/185249/exclusive-march-aerial-tour-of-apple-incs-campus-2-shows-spaceship-ring-tunnel-theater-progress-more#post_2692783"]I'm not very familiar with site or building construction and it sure looks extremely complicated. It seems the garage area is quite a distance away from the main campus. I wonder if there will be an underground passage between the garage and main campus. It's really nice to watch the construction videos. The construction is moving along quite rapidly but there's still a long way to go. People were complaining about Apple spending so much money on this headquarters but I definitely think it's worth it to have all the departments under one roof. I hope it serves Apple well in the future. It's so stupid hearing people say about when a company builds a large headquarters it leads to the company's downfall or something like that. I'm guessing that headquarters is going to put all other headquarters to shame in terms of design and efficiency. [/quote] We had a discussion about the distance from the parking to the main office a while back on AI and I had wondered if there would be a moving walkway or Disney-esque tram but the consensus was 'walking was healthy'.