Michal Marek Apple's new campus in Cupertino is set to be one of the most futuristic buildings in California upon completion. And also not when the entire structure is supposed to resemble a huge spaceship. However, the company decided to preserve the hundred-year-old barn, which was built by the settlers on the site of the current campus, as part of respect for tradition and roots. Visitors to the Apple complex will see a bright red wooden barn right next to the new fitness center.
Glendenning Barn, named after a family of settlers, was built in 1916 on a site that, due to the decline of local agriculture, became an oasis for so-called Silicon Valley companies. The barn has become a silent witness to the ups and downs of many technology companies. But when Apple's new campus opens, the Glendenning Barn will be right back in the spotlight for its 100th birthday.
In order for the barn to survive extensive maneuvers on the huge construction site from which the new campus is to emerge, it had to be dismantled into its most basic building elements, which were carefully numbered and stored. When the entire complex is completed, the barn will be reassembled and used again after several decades. Sports equipment, tools and gardening tools that will be needed to care for thousands of trees will be stored in it. These will also be part of the campus, because the architects plan to transform the current, mostly asphalted spaces into an area full of greenery.
Former Cupertino mayor Orrin Mahoney told the magazine San jose mercury news, that once the building is finished, the place will look much more like it did 50 or 100 years ago than it does now or five years ago. According to him, this fact is further illustrated by the Glendenning barn.
Apple also has redwood lumber from the old grove in storage, in case any damaged barn boards need to be replaced in the future. The land on which the barn stands was originally purchased by HP. In the 70s, she renovated the barn, replaced the roof and reconstructed the concrete foundations. For many years, the barn was an important venue for social events for HP and hosted annual picnics, retirees' gatherings and regular beer parties.
Apple bought the land from HP before the death of Steve Jobs in 2011. This former Apple boss then told the Cupertino City Council that he would like to plant apricots on the land. They were also popular with the Glendenning family when they settled in the Santa Clara Valley in 1850.
