Apple's 'Spaceship' Campus Approved by Cupertino Planning Commission, Headed to City Council for Final Vote

The Planning Commission of Apple's hometown of Cupertino, California approved Apple’s plans for the company's new "Spaceship" campus Wednesday night, a day after the company made a presentation to the community at a public discussion, reports CNET. The next steps in the process will be a vote by the Cupertino city council on October 15 along with a final vote on November 19, and the company remains on track for a 2016 opening of the new campus.

apple_campus_2_rendering

Just like any other Apple presentation, this one came with a slickly-produced video. Dan Whisenhunt, the company's director of real estate and facilities, introduced a video featuring lead architect Norman Foster and others in charge of the site's development. One gem from the film is that the site's now infamous O-shaped structure was not the original vision. "It really grew into that born out of an intensive process," said Foster in the video. The plans were also inspired by Stanford's campus.

Steve Jobs originally pitched the idea of a new Apple campus to the city of Cupertino in June 2011, his final public appearance four months before his death. The company submitted revised plans campus in December 2011, but by April of this year was said to be one year behind schedule on construction and roughly $2 billion over budget. Among the unique details contributing to the project costs were characteristics such as 6 square kilometers of curved glass, strict requirements on gaps between surfaces, and polished concrete ceilings cast in molds as opposed to being cast in place.

Apple again submitted revised plans for the campus with a new phased construction plan in late April 2013, and released an economic impact report on the future campus this past June detailing both main construction phases, which included guidelines for employees capacity, estimates of tax revenue for the city, and public improvements.

Top Rated Comments

Mr Fusion Avatar
137 months ago
It's a nice building, but I have a hard time being excited about something I'll never be allowed to set foot in. :(
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sharpycl Avatar
137 months ago
They should shape the building like a giant apple. Something you can recognize from space. Apple has the funds. They could so pull that off ;)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spb3 Avatar
137 months ago
They should plant apple trees in the middle. And let people sit under them.
You know, for good ideas.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
musika Avatar
137 months ago
They should make the metal of the building in the "Space Gray" color. Then it would be really spacey. :cool:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sransari Avatar
137 months ago
looks amazing! but wouldn't it be kind of a pain to walk half the circumference to get to the exact other side? I guess you could walk outside and cut across since the weather is always perfect.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Four oF NINE Avatar
137 months ago
it's like the pentagon for tech..but it's a sphere.

The building is not a sphere. Planet Earth is a sphere. A baseball is a sphere.
This is a ring, or toroid, if you prefer.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...