On Tuesday 21st February, Apple issued a press release announcing the name of its new headquarters and the time of its opening. What the world has been colloquially calling "The Apple Spaceship Campus" is to be officially named "Apple Park".

From April some 12,000 Apple employees will commence working at Apple Park, which is located in Cupertino, California. The site covers 175 acres and the centrepiece is an iconic 2.8 million-square-foot circular main building built mainly from curved glass. The site will also house a fitness centre, 9,000 trees, two miles of walking and running paths, an orchard, a meadow, a pond, and an impressive new auditorium named in honour of Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs.

The Steve Jobs Theatre will seat 1,000 people and is housed in a 20-feet-tall glass cylinder supporting a metallic carbon-fibre roof, giving it a look similar to many Apple computers.

The lead designer for Apple Park, Jony Ive explained: “Steve invested so much of his energy creating and supporting vital, creative environments. We have approached the design, engineering and making of our new campus with the same enthusiasm and design principles that characterise our products”.

Apple has always been proud of its eco-friendly credentials and has gained high praise from ecology groups over recent years. This new campus is to be powered by 100% renewable energy, primarily from 17 megawatts of rooftop solar panels. This is apparently one of the largest solar energy installations in the world.

If you're interested in visiting Apple Park as a member of the public, you'll be pleased to know that there will be a dedicated visitor centre, an Apple store, and a cafe.

According to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, “Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come”.

This week Apple also announced the dates and location for the annual Worldwide Developer Conference. WWDC 2017 will take place between 5th and 9th June in San Jose, which happens to be tantalisingly close to Apple Park. There is no word yet if any of the WWDC events will actually be held at the new Apple Park, but I bet any prospective attendees will be hoping that their conference passes might allow them an early sneak peek inside Apple's new home.

Edited By: Alan Vickers

Apple Unveils Apple Park