On September 12, 2017, Apple accomplished what was perhaps Steve Jobs’ last big dream with the premiere of Apple Park and the celebration of its first keynote. Personally, it was one of the most special moments of my life. to be invited to this inauguration and share it with all of you in one of the most moving Apple events we can remember.
Witnessing the first-person presentation of a corporate event at the very heart of every product design makes you connect every detail of the building’s architecture with the rest of Apple products. In fact, the Apple Park can be considered a plus, since it was conceived, designed and laid out by Jobs and Ive with the idea of being a catalyst for ideas and new ways of working.
I also had the chance to attend the rest of the following keynotesin 2018 and 2019 – before the pattern of 2020 due to the pandemic – and I saw how the campus is improving with care almost eccentric to your contact details. Vegetation has grown and some parts we saw still under construction in 2017 are already complete – with new construction underway.
A walk through the details of Apple Park
While reviewing my photos of the events of the past few years, I realized that some of them had not yet been shared with you. The the adventure of transmitting and communicating not only the keynote, but everything that happens before and after, is a great responsibility but it also means that faced with the avalanche of photos and videos you leave something out. Today, as we take the first morning coffeeI would like to share some of them with you.
The first relates to the majesty of the complex when approached from Tantau Avenue, where the reception is located. Literally the feeling is that we are in the landing place of a ship as we have seen in so many sci-fi movies:
The area where the press shuttle parks for take us to the visitor center it is also a very common access for employees. From there, you can see the mythical building in a circle much closer. Interior photos are not allowed for security reasons:
As soon as you set foot there, you begin to realize the scale and the careful construction – almost pharaonic, like a sensation – of the finishes of Apple Park.
As soon as we exit the shuttle, the Visitor Center is on our left. It is public access only It can be visited by anyone, without the need for special accreditation. If you ever pass through Cupertino, do not hesitate:
have you seen the cones white of the picture ? It was something that caught my eye and at the time I thought it was another crazy thing. Later I discovered that it was quite common in the United States, as a signaling measure. The truth is that they hit the building that wasn’t even painted:
The aesthetics and level of care of everything (trees, urban elements…) it’s incredible. Take for example the floor lamp, literally designed by Apple. And pets are of course allowed:
The Visitor Center has its own Apple Store, with many merchandising and appliances for sale. Buying a Mac from us at Apple Park will not give you extra points in the maquerismo, but receiving that purchase will surely always hold a special story. Here is a small sample of the many treasures that store skins for Apple fans: t-shirts. One of only two places in the world where you can buy (the other is the old campus Apple Store at 1 Infinite Loop):
In this building we also have the legendary Caffé Macs, Apple’s own cafeteria where employees eat. On event days, it is usually free for the press. It is located on one side of the store:
Many of the menus found there were created based on instructions from Steve Jobs (who was vegan), but almost anything can be found. At events we cannot enjoy full menus, but there is food for all tastes:
I remember going to Caffé Macs on picture day to regain my strength. The keynote had already passed, and we had posted photos and videos of everything: it was time to re-energize… even if the truth, I was not so healthy Like some of my colleagues who opted for something lighter…
Don’t judge me, I was very hungry
Have you ever wondered what italics over there? Of course, with instructions on how to wash your hands with company typography, a proximity sensor for water – can they be considered “notched faucets”? And all very minimalist:
Let’s go up to Visitor center roof. Only the staircase upstairs is already spectacular, built in the same way and with the same materials as the rest of Apple Park and the lower floor of the Steve Jobs Theater:
On the roof there are very comfortable tables and it is covered to protect us from the Californian sun, especially if you go there in the summer. the the views are spectacular, with the circular building in the background and a view of the vegetation. There are more than 9,000 transplanted trees: oaks, redwoods and fruit trees, all the native vegetation of the region.
The architecture, even at this point, is nothing short of spectacular. It almost gives us a good picture even if we point the finger at the exit door of the terrace…
who has a extension of nearly 47 hectares, and is entirely populated with vegetation. In 2017 they were growing, but over the next few years we saw how they grew and created a cooler, calmer environment. Walking these paths must certainly be a lujazo on a stressful day. Here is the path from the visitor center to the private campus entrance for events:
All doors that are not accessible to the general public have an entrance control where employees swipe their card to enter, as well designed by the company. You must do this on the green circle that you see in the image, which will change color with the type of access. This circle symbolizes the main building of Apple Park.
The reception of the access building itself is also spectacular, with a neat design that seems to blend into its surroundings:
When they allow us access, we go up a small hill and there are two directions: on the left, the Steve Jobs Theater where the keynotes take place. On the right, the main building of Apple Park.
If we approach the path of Apple Park, we will see three flags: Those of the United States, that of the state of California and that of Apple.
The path to the Steve Jobs Theater on the left introduces us to the building on a slightly higher peak. It is the highest point of the whole complex, built as well as tribute to jobs.
The Steve Jobs Theater entrance also features the same recording stations as the pre-reception check-in, but with one caveat: note that an openable lower area has been incorporated into the same station (don’t break, as usual) and inside which the fire extinguishers are stored:
The Steve Jobs Theater has a roof whose circular surface is also a giant solar panel (of the greatest that exist) capable of producing 17 megawatts. Apple Park itself is also the tallest building in the world with natural ventilation. The foundations allow horizontal displacement of up to 1.4 meters in the event of an earthquake.
I hope you liked it morning walk in which I acted as your guide through Apple Park: the complex alone has more than 3 km of paths through the vegetation that seem perfect for strolling and telling all kinds of anecdotes.
