Amazon has unveiled the design for HQ2, its futuristic new campus in northern Virginia. The new headquarters will be home to 2.8 million square feet of office space across three buildings and 2.5 acres of public space. The centerpiece of the campus will be the Helix, a glass structure with walking paths winding around the outside of the building.
The campus is part of a long-term commitment for Amazon in Arlington, where the company has pledged to create 25,000 jobs and invest $2.5 billion. Amazon is going forward with the project despite the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the company to shutter its offices and have employees work remotely.
Amazon said in a blog post about the new headquarters that it believes the pandemic has only reinforced the need to be part of a community.
The decision to build a new headquarters in Arlington followed a months-long search and competition among American cities to become the next home base for the ecommerce giant. In early 2019, Amazon canceled the Queens location following strong opposition from local politicians, but it’s still going ahead with the Arlington campus.
Now, Amazon has taken the wraps off the second phase of construction, which includes public space and a nature-focused design. The Helix will serve as an alternative work space for Amazon employees — similar to the Spheres at its Seattle headquarters — and will have two walking paths that spiral up the outside of the building, which Amazon says will incorporate plants that grow in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The Helix will be open for public tours some weekends each month.
