Apple’s new campus, which is being built in Cupertino City, California, was estimated to cost around $3 billion. However the budget has already ballooned to $5 million.
Set to be completed by 2016, this ring shaped Apple Campus will be more expensive than the under-construction World Trade Center complex.
Apple’s new campus was announced back in 2011 by the late Steve Jobs who wanted the new headquarters to be the best office building in the world. The spaceship-like headquarters will accommodate more than 12,000 employees. The exterior of the campus is made up of almost six square kilometers of glass.
Although Steve Jobs was lambasted for his ambitious plans and ‘Doughnut shaped’ design, he wanted to create a masterpiece that looked as good as it functioned, just like his products. He envisaged that architecture students would come to study the design of the building.
Jobs also wanted the campus to achieve ‘net-zero energy’ by offsetting energy use with its 700,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels, enough to generate 8 megawatts of power. Since this would not be sufficient to power the whole complex, Apple plans to use other renewable energy sources, natural ventilation and radiant cooling.
Despite the ballooning costs and all the criticism, Apple is still going ahead with the plan along with lead architect Foster & Partners, thanks mainly to Apple’s massive cash reserves.
There’s no doubt, though, that when completed this campus will be a beautiful place to work.
