Everything is beautiful at once. PenPlace is a new paradise for hipsters from Amazon

/ Architecture /

Jeff Bezos is leaving the chair of CEO of Amazon, which he held for 26 years. But his business will live on: almost simultaneously with the news of Bezos' departure (his place will be taken by Andy Yassi, the former head of the Amazon Web Services division), the corporation published renderings of the HQ2 project in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon's second headquarters (the first is in Seattle), designed by New York architectural practice NBBJ.

The construction of the headquarters in Virginia is a forced step after the corporation's rejection of plans to build a campus in New York. As a reminder, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and public activists blocked Amazon's plans for development in Long Island City. The reason is that, according to many members of the community, Amazon is a "bad neighbor" - it does not recognize the demands of trade unions and exploits the labor of migrants. After mass protests, the corporation decided not to argue and abandoned the idea of ​​building a campus on Long Island. "One of the largest investment deals in the history of the state," as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called it, was canceled in 2019. But the authorities of Virginia were enthusiastic about the prospect of creating 25 jobs.

Three office blocks, public spaces and a focal architectural object - this is the typology of the campus for Amazon from NBBJ. Image source: NBBJ/Amazon

The HQ2 campus in Arlington was named PenPlace. The architectural center of the town will be a spiral tower made of glass and metal, abundantly covered with greenery

NBBJ designers continue to form a biophilic image for Amazon. Earlier, it was this architectural studio that designed the spherical gardens in Seattle for the corporation. (Read more about The Spheres project here). If you compare the master plans of campuses in Seattle and Virginia, their similarity is immediately striking: three massive orthogonal office blocks and a focal object.

The spiral shape of the Helix tower is dictated by Amazon's desire to prepare employees for hiking and climbing in the Appalachians. It is assumed that the desire to climb to the top of the Blue Ridge is common to almost all residents of Virginia. And the two pedestrian routes to the top of the Helix will be an excellent exercise for both employees and visitors to the tower, for whom the entrance will be open on weekends.

The landscaping and typology of the campus corresponds to the new office paradigm of the world's largest corporations, such as Google, Samsung, Microsoft, and actually, Amazon. The town is planned as a paradise for people who dream of combining work with study and active socializing

NBBJ architects offer to create the most friendly and barrier-free environment. Image source: NBBJ/Amazon

PenPlace will be open to Arlington residents. Image source: NBBJ/Amazon

PenPlace plans to create public educational spaces with an area of ​​2000 square meters. m., an open amphitheater for 250 seats, farmers' markets, a cinema, a childcare center, dog walking areas and many cafes, bars and coffee points. The entire territory with a total area of ​​more than one hectare will be a car-free space. There are underground parking lots for cars. And you can move around the town on foot or by bicycle. It remains to add that all buildings in PenPlace will meet the requirements of the highest standard of energy efficiency, LEED Platinum.

Image source: NBBJ/Amazon

Apparently fearing a repeat of history with mass protests in New York, Amazon is trying with all its might to ensure a loyal public and political climate in Arlington. The company announced that it will donate $19 million to local non-profit organizations and open the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, promising to build 1300 housing units for low-income families in the city.