Apple rumored using Norman Foster for expanded HQ

Apple may draw on one of the world's most famous architects to design its new campus on HP's old headquarters, a new rumor may have revealed. Spanish paper El Economista claims that Norman Foster, best known for curving architecture like London's iconic "Gherkin" tower and the Reichstag dome in Berlin, would design a building to house engineering and research teams on the newly acquired 98-acre plot. It would use "cutting-edge" materials and have a green slant with renewable resources used throughout.

The company would also have an ambitious plan to unite the sections of the new campus with a tunnel system. Employees on the new campus would navigate between with tunnels, leaving the spaces above mostly untouched by sidewalks and other inorganic elements. CEO Steve Jobs would reportedly have taken cues from Abu Dhabi's Masdar, a planned city that doesn't accommodate cars and doesn't produce carbon emissions.

Apple has often drawn attention to the architecture of its stores, which focus on metal and glass and have increasingly included green aspects such as maintenance-free lawns on the rooftops or trees inside the store. Until now, however, the company has had relatively few opportunities to design its own offices to reflect its new style. Many of its buildings are either legacy locations like Infinite Loop that wouldn't be easily renovated or else small locations where a redesign wouldn't be as significant.

Apple hasn't commented on the rumor. [via 9to5]

By Electronista Staff