In a nutshell: Amazon's pattern proposal for its next major campus consists of three 22-story buildings that environs a unique-looking spiraling drinking glass tower called 'The Helix.' In add-on to providing role infinite, this 350-ft (~106 meters) tall structure is meant to connect people with nature and will characteristic a vertical forest with walkways swirling upward to the top. Amazon is likewise planning dark-green spaces and publicly accessible areas throughout the 2.8 million square ft site and volition be giving public tours of The Helix on occasional weekends.

Although work from abode has increasingly become the new normal for many people, Amazon employees living in Arlington County might be tempted to commute to PenPlace, the site where the company looks forward to building its second headquarters.

Amid the conventional-looking buildings is the standout spiraling glass structure, whose pattern is probably many things to many people. Amazon notes that the inspiration for it comes from the natural beauty of a double helix shape whose pattern can be observed in things similar our DNA, spiral galaxies, pinecones, and seashells.

The Helix is a continuation of Amazon'due south nature-inspired Spheres in Seattle that opened dorsum in 2022. Like the 3 glass domes, this new twisty belfry will also be open to weekend visits from the full general public and will normally exist occupied by some of the 25,000 employees Amazon eventually plans to station at HQ2. Information technology'll have a 1,500-person meeting center inside and an creative person-in-residence program, while the outside will have two walkways surrounded by a vertical forest featuring Virginia'due south native plantings swirling their way to the top.

Led by architecture firm NBBJ, Amazon says the campus layout is designed to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, with an hole-and-corner road organization that will be used by vehicles for docking and deliveries. In addition to The Helix and 3 other buildings, the site will have 2.5 acres of dark-green space that will be open up to the public, alongside retail stores, restaurants, and an amphitheater for communal activities.

Virginia's HQ2 is a long-term investment for Amazon, which plans to invest $2.5 billion in the project over the next decade. The company initiated the start stage of structure in January last year, where two of the three 22-story buildings are fix for completion by 2023.

With development plans for the 2d stage at present submitted to Arlington Canton for approval, construction of The Helix and other remaining buildings is expected to brainstorm in 2022 and accept three years to complete.