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See the Massive Monuments Silicon Valley Is Building

2 minute read

On March 30, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Menlo Park, Calif.—based company had finally moved into its newest quarters, a 433,555-sq.-ft. box with a parklike roof created by architect Frank Gehry. “The building itself is pretty simple and isn’t fancy,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. That may be, but it is also carefully designed open space. The company is building on decades of data—and its own experience–showing how free-form connections among employees are important in generating new ideas. Earlier this year, Google submitted a plan to redevelop part of its Mountain View, Calif., campus into four futuristic hubs under sweeping glass canopies. Instead of immovable concrete buildings, the company wants to construct lightweight structures that can be easily reconfigured as it explores new businesses (think self-driving cars or medical technology). Similar megaprojects under way at Apple and Amazon point to a wider break with the past. Technology’s most powerful (and wealthy) companies are grappling with how to be environmentally responsible while recruiting and retaining workers and continuing to foster innovation. “They’re betting that if you’re in the right space, you’re going to work hard; you’re going to be happier,” says Margaret O’Mara, an associate professor at the University of Washington who has studied the rise of Silicon Valley. “This signals a different phase in their history.”

Amazon Seattle, Wash., Three 38-story office towers in an underdeveloped downtown area will be built around glass bio-domes.
Amazon 3.3 million sq. ft. Seattle, Wash., Three 38-story office towers in an underdeveloped downtown area will be built around glass bio-domes. Amazon
Apple Cupertino, Calif., The four-story circular building, to be completed in 2016 is designed to house some 12,000 employees.
Apple 2.8 million sq. ft. Cupertino, Calif., The four-story circular building, to be completed in 2016 is designed to house some 12,000 employees. Apple
Facebook Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook's new building features a nine-acre green roof with a half-mile walking loop and over 400 trees.
Facebook 433,555 sq. ft. Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook's new building features a nine-acre green roof with a half-mile walking loop and over 400 trees. Facebook
Google Mountain View, Calif., Google wants to add bike paths and retail space to better integrate with the surrounding community.
Google 2.5 million sq. ft. Mountain View, Calif., Google wants to add bike paths and retail space to better integrate with the surrounding community. Google

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