When I want to show visitors the silicon-ness and techiness of Silicon Valley, I like to take them to Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino and San Jose City Hall.
A trip to San Jose City Hall can be easily combined with a visit to the nearby Tech Museum of Innovation. This museum is good for youth as well as adults.
A trip to Apple Park Visitor Center can be conveniently combined with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The museum collection and displays can please even the history buff and tech nerd.
Apple Park Visitor Center - Modernism for the Consumer
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| Apple Store at Apple Park campus on Homestead Rd (newer than the Infinity Loop campus). |
More than just for shopping, this flagship store was designed for the visitor's experience.The modern design of the building is slim and sleek, immediately giving a visual statement of the slim and sleek design of Apple handheld and computer products.
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| Stairs - polished quartz |
Inside the building, there is a stairwell and steps made entirely from cream-white quartz. This is my favorite part of the building. An outstanding example of form-follows-function design, the stairwell/case is art work.
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Close-up of Handguide (vs. handrail)
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San Jose City Hall - Modernism for the Public
The stand-out feature of the building is the Rotunda, which serves as the formal entry to the city hall facility, completed in 2005. From the outside, the Rotunda resembles an observatory. The shell is constructed with glass and metal louvers, and the design gives a feeling of openness and transparency, mirroring ideals of public service.
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Rotunda at daytime. The architects are Richard Meier & Partners and Steinberg Architects. Richard Meier is also known for the design of the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.
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| Rotunda at nightime. Dimensions are 110ft high, 90ft diameter. The glass walls on the ground floor can be opened to allow an event to spill out onto the surrounding plaza. |
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