Nature Meets Workplace: A Peak into Amazon’s New Spheres

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‘Lose yourself in a little piece of nature’-Horticulturalist Ben Eiben

Ever imagined working in an office that is also a jungle with over 400 species of stunning plants? Scheduled to open to the public for the first time on January 30th, Amazon’s new spheres are making their appearance in Seattle, Washington.

Courtesy of NBBJ

Designed by NBBJ as part of Amazon’s vibrant urban campus, the project consists of three gigantic domes that form a biomorphic greenhouse spanning an area of 650,000 square feet. These gigantic glass bubbles were first approved in 2013 and are now opening their doors to the employees five years later.

Courtesy of NBBG

The Amazon spheres function as a very significant workspace with vibrant meeting rooms and conference areas for the lucky Amazon workers in Downtown Seattle. Additionally project acts as a new architectural landmark for the city that might even be more catchy than Seattle’s signature skyscraper, the Space Needle.

This lively jungle includes co-working spaces that indulge within tropical plants along secluded meeting nooks and benches that can take up a capacity of up to 800 people.

Courtesy of Kurt Schlosser

Courtesy of Kurt Schlosser

Made of glass and steel, the spheres come in different sizes, with the largest bubble spanning 130 feet in diameter and topping out at 95 feet tall.

According to the Seattle Times, Amazon envisions the building as a game changer for their coworkers, a place to “feel differently, to think differently,” said Ron Gagliardo, the Spheres’ lead horticulturist, who leads an in-house team of four others.

For full information on the project, check out here our previous article named Amazon’s Biodome Headquarters | NBBJ.

Inside these three spheres, there is a jungle consisting of 400 species of carefully selected plants from around the globe. The landscape design is tailored to make Amazon’s employees in direct contact with nature. In addition to the 60-foot-tall living wall that is seen from most of the offices, the gardens feature many exotic and uncommon plants.

Courtesy of NBBJ

 

‘Lose yourself in a little piece of nature’, says a Horticulturalist and plant geek Ben Eiben. He states that the living wall is one of a kind due to its large scale and technology.

The majority of the plants are native to from South America, central Aerica, Africa, Southeast Asia. An enormous 40-year-old Port Jackson fig tree acts a central internal landmark inside the garden that you can not miss.

Courtesy of The Seattle Times

“There’s an amazing teaching moment here, and we envision being able to open these Spheres to the public occasionally for field trips and for educational purposes with different schools and universities,” said John Schoettler, Amazon’s vice president of global real estate and facilities.

Courtesy of NBBJ

“This is our office space, and we don’t invite the public into any of the towers. This is just an alternative working space for our employees.” says the vice president of the tech giant.

Courtesy of Kurt Schlosser

Related: Eden Project Bio Domes | Grimshaw Architects

 

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