I am not exaggerating if I say that Bell Laboratories in New Jersey could be one of the most important buildings in modern history. If each time you see the separation, you are hypnotized by These endless white corridors And these offices that seem to be taken from a disturbing dream, you should know something: This place exists. And not only exists, but between these walls was born practically all the technology that you are using at the moment.
The modernist colossus that redefined our digital life
Bell laboratories are the FINAL MASERPIE OF THE LEGENDARY ARCHITECT EERA SARINENNDied before seeing her creation finished. Because? Because it seems to be designed of the future … but in reality It was built in 1962. At the time, this 185,800 square meter complex (around 26 football fields) represented a total revolution in the concept of corporate workspace. The whole Apple park of the time.
The most impressive is the main hall, with a roof almost 30 meters high And a central reception that seems to float in space. Exactly the same as you see in separation each time Mark and his companions arrive at the office. The feeling of greatness is overwhelming, and it was precisely the intention: to create a temple dedicated to science and innovation, where researchers could feel part of something greater than themselves.
As one of the architects explained: “We did not want a conventional buildingBut a place that inspired revolutionary discoveries. “The result is such a perfect space in its coldness that many consider it.
What has changed the world: the inventions born In Bell laboratories
With a list of discoveries that seem to be drawn from a science fiction book, Bell Laboratories is among the most important research centers in history. And most likely, we use dozens of technologies born there. This iPhone you have in your hand? There would not exist without The transistor, invented in Bell Labs in 1947. The transistor is simply the most important component of modern electronics. Without him, there would be no personal computers, smartphones or practically no current electronic apparatus.
In fact, the Water tank that we see in the parking lot of Lumon offices also exists in real life and represents the transistor which was invented in this building. The parking lot, these long visits to the car at the shocking main entrance, the stairs that descend to the lower floor … Everything is the same as in the series (or the series is equal to reality).
You can see the Bell laboratories environment in Apple Maps
Do you communicate with the laser? Yes, even if you don't know. Optical fiber which allows the internet to be ultra-graphic He was also born hereWith the first functional lasers. Solar cells? Also. Technology that allows satellite communication? The same. Even the first UNIX operating system, which laid the foundations of systems such as Linux and MacOS. But there is more, much more. In Bell Labs:
- The first transcontinental telephone call (1915) was developed.
- The television transmission was invented (1927).
- The first modem was created (1958).
- The Cosmic Background (1964) was discovered, confirming the Big Bang.
- The first CCDs were developed, based on all current digital cameras (1969).
The building as a character: why the separation could not shoot in another place
The choice of Bell laboratories as the main separation scenario is premeditated. He The director Ben poses And their team was looking A space that embodies dehumanization The company taken to the extreme. And what could be better than a building designed to house thousands of researchers working on revolutionary projects, separated by departments, in a maze of identical rooms?
The minimalism of the building, with its long white corridors and its diaphanous spaces, creates a perfect feeling of disorientation for the premise of the series. Like Jessica Lee Gagné, director of photography, said: “This building has its own personality. It's cold but fascinating, just as we wanted to feel Lumon. “”
Beyond the aesthetics and technical details, there is an irony in which the separation will be filmed here. Bell laboratories have been designed as a space where scientists had absolute freedom Innovate. In fact, politics was that researchers could devote part of their time to personal projects.
On the other hand, Lumon Industries It represents control of the company taken to the extreme, where employees are so compartmentalized that they literally do not know what they do when they do not work. Each plane, each room, each architectural detail. If you have not yet connected the points between this real architectural wonder and the series, it is now the best time to do it. Believe me, if I tell you that after having known the history of the Bell laboratories, you will see separation with a completely new perspective.
Bell Labs today: the rebirth of an icon
If you think of the pilgrimage to the technological temple after seeing the dismissal, I have good news: the building is not only held. After years Abandonment after AT&T came off the building in the 90sThis glass and steel colossus was about to be demolished. But in 2013, the urban planner Ralph Zucker acquired it with a revolutionary vision: transforming it into what he called a “metroburb”, a perfect mix between the metropolitan environment and the technological suburbs.
Today, Bell laboratories have become bell works, A space that houses technological startups to restaurants Fashionable, including coworking spaces and design stores. Relatively near New York, you can visit this impressive place freely, without asking for permits. I know, they also made me want to look at the flights.
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