Amazon opens an indoor rainforest—in Seattle
Amazon on Monday unveiled one of its most ambitious physical spaces to date, new office space that is also home to more 40,000 plants from around the globe.
Called The Spheres, the new structure is the centerpiece of Amazon’s $4 billion downtown Seattle office project. From the outside, it resembles three connected glass domes — or Biospheres — sitting on the ground.
The Spheres is designed as a place where Amazon employees can work in an environment that the company described as more like a tropical rainforest in the clouds than an office. Plants, trees, sunlight, soil, and water take center stage — the sound of running water and the scent of flowering plants create fills the space.
“Our goal with The Spheres was to create a unique gathering place where employees could collaborate and innovate together, and where the Seattle community could gather to experience biodiversity in the center of the city,” said John Schoettler, Amazon VP of global real estate and facilities.
The Spheres feature treehouse meeting rooms, river and waterfall features, paludariums, a four-story living wall, and epiphytic trees. There are more than 400 species spanning five continents and 50 countries, and many of the plants have journeyed from botanical gardens, tree nurseries, and conservation programs from around the globe.
The structure has a visitor center — called The Understory — that is open to the public year round. It provides a fully immersive, 360-degree experience where visitors can get up close and personal with the science, engineering, and plants behind The Spheres. Amazon will provide educational opportunities for the Spheres to the Seattle community through tours, field trips and partnerships with local schools and universities.
Called The Spheres, the new structure is the centerpiece of Amazon’s $4 billion downtown Seattle office project. From the outside, it resembles three connected glass domes — or Biospheres — sitting on the ground.
The Spheres is designed as a place where Amazon employees can work in an environment that the company described as more like a tropical rainforest in the clouds than an office. Plants, trees, sunlight, soil, and water take center stage — the sound of running water and the scent of flowering plants create fills the space.
“Our goal with The Spheres was to create a unique gathering place where employees could collaborate and innovate together, and where the Seattle community could gather to experience biodiversity in the center of the city,” said John Schoettler, Amazon VP of global real estate and facilities.
The Spheres feature treehouse meeting rooms, river and waterfall features, paludariums, a four-story living wall, and epiphytic trees. There are more than 400 species spanning five continents and 50 countries, and many of the plants have journeyed from botanical gardens, tree nurseries, and conservation programs from around the globe.
The structure has a visitor center — called The Understory — that is open to the public year round. It provides a fully immersive, 360-degree experience where visitors can get up close and personal with the science, engineering, and plants behind The Spheres. Amazon will provide educational opportunities for the Spheres to the Seattle community through tours, field trips and partnerships with local schools and universities.