Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2014/09/03/drone_captures_shots_of_budding_apple_spaceship_hq/

Drone captures shots of budding APPLE SPACESHIP HQ

Quadcopter flies over Cupertino construction site

By Shaun Nichols in San Francisco

Posted in On-Prem, 3rd September 2014 01:15 GMT

An amateur drone video is shedding new light on Apple's future headquarters.

Shot in August with a GoPro Hero 3 camera mounted onto a DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter drone, the video shows construction on the iStuff maker's new Cupertino headquarters. The creator of the video said that footage was shot at the FAA-approved altitude of under 400 feet and was timed for shooting when no workers were at the site.

What the video does show is the progress Apple is making with its massive new "spaceship" corporate headquarters. The building, with design overseen by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs prior to his death in 2011, is believed to be about two years from opening.

The building, designed by architect Norman Foster, is slated to open in 2016 and will house roughly 10,000 workers on completion.

New Apple campus

Drone shot of Apple's new campus

In the eight and a half minute clip, the drone shows the early stages of construction, including the partially-completed outer ring of the building and the outline of the open park area which will form the inside of the round campus.

Apple obtained permission to build the 2.8 million square foot campus in 2013 and work began on the site earlier this year. When completed, the new Apple HQ will cover 176 acres.

Apple has occupied a number of locations in Cupertino since moving to the city in 1977. The company built its current corporate HQ, at 1 Infinite Loop, in 1993. ®