If nothing else, the Apple design wizards cranking out those must-have gadgets for the geek-chic set know style. Simple and functional design icons like the iPod, MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone have cemented Apple's status as the high-tech choice for those who view technology as practical fashion. It follows that Apple's proposed new headquarters should appear as sleek, efficient and effortless as its products, and that's probably what will be seen based on the plans drawn up by Norman Foster, the British architect responsible for modern masterpieces like London's 30 St Mary Axe building and the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Apple bought a chunk of land from Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino, Calif., to secure the required space for the new HQ. The campus will be 150 acres and the building will house 13,000 employees. The ring-shaped structure prompted many in the media to label the building a "spaceship." Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly specified a design suggesting an alien craft landing in an open field. But not everyone is sold. San Jose Mercury News reporter John Pastier compared it to Facebook, saying the social networking giant's "employee-centered, interactive approach seems more promising than [Apple's] mechanistic sci-fi vision. Will the spaceship provide an alternative to the industry's ubiquitous cubicles? Will it foster staff interaction and creative exchange? Will navigating miles of corridors help productivity?" Images courtesy of Foster + Partners and Apple.
of
Lord of the Ring
Details on the specifics of the building are slim, but based on futuristic renderings, the headquarters has already been likened to a spaceship.
The 'Spaceship'
Last year Apple bought a large parcel of land from Hewlett-Packard to secure the required space—150 acres—for the new campus.
Harmonic Design
Idyllic renderings from architect Norman Foster's office suggest a working environment fused with natural surroundings.
Where They Work
The building will reportedly comprise 2.8 million square feet and house 13,000 employees. It will include a 1,000-person auditorium and a 300,000-square-foot research facility.
iNature
Apple describes the proposed campus as a "distinctive and inspiring 21st century workplace."
Going in Circles
Some architecture critics have called into question the usefulness of the building's design.
Breaking It Down
The building is planned to offer a corporate fitness center, a central plant and associated parking.
Seeing Green
Though there is no official cost associated with the building, Apple plans to put some money into sustainable features and expanding open space on the site.
The World of Tomorrow
Right now, with the current buildings in place, about 20 percent of the land is open space. Under Apple’s plans, open space will jump to 80 percent.
Bilbao or Boondoggle?
Is an enormous, ring-shaped building really the best solution to housing 13,000 employees? Despite the stunning renderings, some are doubtful.
Windows Azure is a public cloud platform for building, hosting and scaling applications. Try Windows Azure free for 90 days and get 20GB outbound and unlimited inbound data transfer.
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
Cloud Data Backup Now Makes Sense for SMBs: 10 Reasons Why 
HP, Lenovo, Asus Laptops, Desktops Offer Consumer Style for Busin[..]
Microsoft`s F#: 10 Reasons Why It`s a Hot Programming Language fo[..]
Data Center Efficiency: 10 Tips to Boost Productivity, Reduce Pow[..]
iPhone Apps to Kick Off the 2012 Summer Season 
Email Security: 10 Steps for Dealing With Dangerous Messages
See All Slideshows
If nothing else, the Apple design wizards cranking out those must-have gadgets for the geek-chic set know style. Simple and functional design icons like the iPod, MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone have cemented Apple's status as the high-tech choice for those who view technology as practical fashion. It follows that Apple's proposed new headquarters should appear as sleek, efficient and effortless as its products, and that's probably what will be seen based on the plans drawn up by Norman Foster, the British architect responsible for modern masterpieces like London's 30 St Mary Axe building and the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Apple bought a chunk of land from Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino, Calif., to secure the required space for the new HQ. The campus will be 150 acres and the building will house 13,000 employees. The ring-shaped structure prompted many in the media to label the building a "spaceship." Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly specified a design suggesting an alien craft landing in an open field. But not everyone is sold. San Jose Mercury News reporter John Pastier compared it to Facebook, saying the social networking giant's "employee-centered, interactive approach seems more promising than [Apple's] mechanistic sci-fi vision. Will the spaceship provide an alternative to the industry's ubiquitous cubicles? Will it foster staff interaction and creative exchange? Will navigating miles of corridors help productivity?" Images courtesy of Foster + Partners and Apple.