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jobs not only wanted to make extraordinary mobile phones, he also wanted to make extraordinary buildings.

apple launched a slew of new product models this week, including the highly anticipated iphone 16, but for architecture enthusiasts, the unveiling of its newest building, the apple park observatory, may steal the show.

a modern "hobbit hole"

this "most significant building since the opening of the steve jobs theater" cost more than $5 billion. it is designed as a semi-underground cave with huge oval windows hidden among the trees. it is jokingly called " a modern hobbit hole".

john de maio, apple’s global head of design, said:

when we built apple park, we wanted the entire campus to blend seamlessly into the landscape, and this building follows the same approach. with its campus green spaces and mountain views surrounding the horizon, it is a true extension of apple park, showcasing the best of california and the best of the natural environment that surrounds us.

the "observatory" continues the concept of integrating apple park with the natural landscape. it uses natural stone, terrazzo and wood elements consistent with apple park, and uses a large number of soft curves to design, making it complement the overall structural aesthetic style of other buildings in the park. .

a large part of the reason why the main building of apple park is so unique comes from jobs’ stubbornness in materials and design. stefan behling, a partner at foster + partners who participated in the design, once shared this little thing in an interview with wired:

he (jobs) knew exactly what wood he wanted, but it wasn't just "i like oak" or "i like maple." he gave the architect instructions on how to cut the wood, and that the wood had to be cut in winter, preferably in january, to keep the sap and sugar content to a minimum. we were all sitting there, a bunch of gray-haired architects, and we all yelled "holy shit!"

not only the materials, but also the final product, jobs had extremely high requirements for many details of the design of the main building.

stefan behling also mentioned that jobs conducted strict reviews on every corner of the building, from the curvature of the glass to the smoothness of the floor, and even the design of the door handles, hoping that everyone who enters the campus would you can feel the unique charm and exquisite craftsmanship of this building.

as for glass as the main body, jobs also had extremely strict requirements for it. the "ship"-shaped main building does not have a single piece of flat glass in the entire building, and the facade wall is composed of 800 pieces of 14-meter-high ultra-large curved glass. the glasses are made by german supplier seele, and each piece of glass takes 14 hours to produce.

in order to ensure the perfect curvature and visual effect of the glass, seele used cold bending technology, with a total area of ​​31,000 square meters, equivalent to the area of ​​four standard football fields, and used glass to the extreme.

in addition to the walls, in order to avoid greening as much as possible, the back of each "eave" is painted with white paint similar to the ancient ipod ring and installed with metal plates. the metal plates are also painted white, striving to create an "alien-like" environment. "spaceship" utopian architecture.

this building was born from the passion of steve jobs. the idea of ​​a beautiful product falling from the sky onto this verdant, soothing land that would house 12,000 people was a truly utopian vision.

perhaps when it comes to architecture, many people first think of its building materials, structure and appearance design, but in many cases the light and shadow of the building is also an important element. light and shadow are connected with the inherent external form of the building through different combinations, which can not only shape the atmosphere of the space, but also affect people's emotions and experience. as the architect louis kahn said:

natural light is the only light that makes architecture art, and designing space is designing light.

the most well-known is the series of designs about light and shadow by architect tadao ando. in his masterpiece "church of light", tadao ando placed a cross-shaped opening on the east facade to allow natural light to penetrate naturally in the early morning. transforming the interior concrete wall from a black volume into a luminous box not only enhances the sacredness of the space, but also makes light and shadow a core element of the architecture.

le corbusier already summarized this interaction between architecture and light and shadow:

architecture is the correct, wonderful, magical play of shapes in the light.

"church of light" designed by tadao ando

the "observatory" is also playing a "light and shadow game". through the 3-meter-wide circular hole on the top of the lobby, visitors can directly see the sky, and sunlight can naturally and directly enter the building.

as time goes by, the light and shadow on the wall slowly change, thus affecting people's perception of the sky, light and shadow, creating a more immersive experience.

the circular opening design on the top of the "observatory"

this is not only to highlight the concept of "connection with nature", but also stems from apple's positioning of its "meditation space". this type of building often creates an environment for contemplation and relaxation through light, shadow, water and other natural elements projected by skylights. stimulate creativity and inspiration in visitors.

james turrell's "inner space", the idea is "to build bridges between the universe, the sacred and daily life by manipulating light, space and nature"

lyons gardens in playa blanca beach, san juataño, mexico

"book on the water" located at the foot of cooper's mountain in the uk

going deeper from the front lobby, we can see that the lobby of the "observatory" also continues the natural and minimalist overall style. it is said that it will be used to experience new products in the future.

interior space of the "observatory" hall

walking straight ahead through the hall, you will come to the outdoor viewing platform of the "observatory", where you can have an unobstructed view of the ring-shaped main building, and this may be the reason why it is called the observatory.

overlooking the main building of apple park from the "observatory"

during the construction of the observatory, apple removed approximately 90 trees from the site and then replanted them after construction, allowing them to maintain the original appearance of the natural landscape.

and these plants are not just for decoration. the "observatory" is surrounded by various native drought-resistant plants such as oaks, redwoods, and bulbs, which is consistent with the water conservation goals of the entire park. the building is also said to be powered by 100% renewable energy, including on-site solar power:

from the choice of concrete to the air filtration system to rainwater collection, every detail of the "observatory" has been carefully considered - from the materials used inside the building to the protection of the grassy landscaping. we want to inject care and creativity into every detail of this space, and we want visitors to feel this every time they are in the park.

solar panels on the ring-shaped main building of apple campus

foster + partners - how to play "frozen music"

friends who are interested in the field of contemporary architecture may be familiar with foster + partners, the designer of this "observatory" and many buildings on the apple campus. it was designed by nobel laureate, winner of the 21st pritzker prize. a global studio founded by norman foster in 1967, its business involves multiple cultures and multiple disciplines, including urban planning, architectural design, product design, exhibitions, etc., with its business scope covering six continents and various time zones. the firm has offices around the world and team members speak more than 70 different languages.

norman foster, founder of foster + partners

senior partner, foster + partners

many of foster + partners' works have become local landmarks with their unique designs, but its greater appeal lies in its architectural design concept - emphasizing harmonious coexistence with the natural environment and focusing on sustainable development. and energy efficiency, committed to improving people's quality of life through design and creating buildings that are both functional and aesthetic. founder norman foster said:

from the beginning, our practice has been built on the ideas of innovation, sustainability and design.

for example, the swiss re headquarters building in london is famous for its unique "gherkin" shape. its aerodynamic shape maximizes natural lighting and natural ventilation. the shape and geometric features of the building are similar to those in nature. like a pine cone, it can opening and closing in response to changing weather conditions, it significantly reduces the building’s energy consumption and epitomizes foster + partners’ commitment to sustainable design.

swiss re building, london

in addition, foster + partners not only emphasizes design and sustainability, but also attaches great importance to the combination of architectural design and practicality.

recently, the new alibaba office in shanghai designed by him has also been launched. it improves the comfort of the working environment through large areas of natural lighting, optimized ventilation systems and green vegetation, encourages collaboration and interaction among employees, and has the characteristics of adapting to smart offices. jeremy kim, partner at the firm, said:

the innovative design process stems from a comprehensive understanding of the company's structure and collective spirit of success.

the firm not only builds new buildings, but also builds the queen elizabeth ii grand courtyard of the british museum, which integrates modern architecture with historical buildings. while protecting the historical buildings, it also adds modern elements, making the entire space have a sense of historical depth and full of modern flavor. .

foster + partners also has a close relationship with apple. they have designed apple retail stores all over the world, including milan, paris, macau, chicago, london, seoul and san francisco. not long ago, they also designed the jing’an temple apple store. .

the biggest feature of this store is that it is entered through a square connected to the existing pedestrian route, which emphasizes the "public space" attribute of the building in the city. stefan behling, the head of the office, said:

it provides a place to relax, attracts people to come here, respects the environment of jing'an temple, and also becomes a good decoration.

in addition, norman foster also served as a designer, working with steve jobs and legendary apple designer jony ive to create the iconic "spaceship" main building of the apple campus, as well as facilities such as the steve jobs theater.

it is not difficult to see that the newly unveiled "observatory" unveiled today is undoubtedly a continuation of its design philosophy - unique design, natural integration, sustainability, practicality, and public attributes. the same architectural elements allow it to maintain continuity and become a new protagonist in the series of buildings on the campus.

apple park main building

steve jobs theater

in ancient greek mythology, orpheus, the god of music, had a lyre given by apollo. the sound of his lyre could move birds and animals, causing wood and stone to form various buildings in the square according to the rhythm and melody of music.

at the end of the song, the rhythm and melody are solidified on these buildings, turning into proportions and rhythms, carrying the natural transformation of light and shadow.

inspired by this, the 18th-century german philosopher schelling put forward a wise saying describing the relationship between music and architecture in his famous book "the philosophy of art":

architecture is frozen music.

just as music can evoke emotions, architecture can also bring people different psychological and sensory experiences and convey concepts and philosophies through its spatial layout, structural design and use of materials:

an irreplaceable task of architecture is to mediate the relationship between the world and ourselves, and to create a vision for humans to understand the world and themselves. so although the essence of architectural design is about space, materials and construction, its connotation is still about people and life, that is, the ultimate goal is to serve mankind.