Foster + Partners has completed a new Visitor Center at Apple’s new Cupertino campus to offer its visitors a closer look at the main building from the roof terrace of the Visitor Center and showcase a large scaled model of Apple Park.

Situated along Tantau Avenue in Cupertino, the Visitor Center welcomed its first visitors for the first time on Friday, with its "exceptionally-designed transparent envelope" sitting below a floating carbon-fiber roof.

Resembling other Apple's flagship store that Foster + Partners designed in Michigan, this time the structure is designed to be an exclusive public gateway to Apple’s new headquarters at Apple campus - it features an expansive roof terrace with stunning views of the main building that offers a unique glimpse into Apple Park.

The fully transparent Visitor Center is nestled within a carefully planted olive grove, its seamless, transparent body sits below a floating carbon-fiber roof, which cantilevers over outdoor seating areas on either side. 

"The building’s softly-lit timber soffit gives the interior an inviting warmth, while the full-height glazing dematerializes the building volume," said Foster + Partners in a press release for the project description.

In the interior, visitors encounter with a large scaled model of Apple Park – seemingly suspended in mid-air – milled and finished by the same machines that create the signature Apple products.

The building’s terrace provides a unique opportunity to get a closer look at the main building from the roof terrace of the Visitor Center, which offers an unmatched panoramic view of Apple Park.

The canopy, featuring a delicate screen of thin and curved carbon-fiber fins, shades the terrace, where people can relax and take photos against the lush backdrop of Apple Park.

"The idea was to create a delicate pavilion where visitors can enjoy the same material palette and meticulous detailing seen in the Ring Building in a relaxed setting, against the backdrop of Apple Park," said Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners.

"Special Apple merchandise, exclusive to the Visitor Center, is available as souvenirs. At the southern end of the Visitor Center is a café – a place of relaxation and repose, where visitors can enjoy the verdant Californian landscape that surrounds Apple Park," said the office.

Foster + Partners used several elements from the main building at the Visitor Center to give people a taste of the precision detailing at Apple Park. For instance, the studio designed the same staircases by being inspired from the main building’s staircases, which are clad with the same quartz stone. The countertop at the café is made with the same marble as the main restaurant.

All images courtesy of Foster + Partners

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