While in Seattle enjoying the region’s natural beauty, visit Amazon Corporate Headquarters to appreciate its state-of-the-art appeal . Nearly 50,000 people work at the many buildings just north of downtown Seattle. Three of the buildings are included in a guided tour.
A major highlight of the complex is the three-module glass and steel building known as the Spheres, which opened in 2018. Its rounded shape using pentagonal hexecontahedron geometry creates a stunning greenhouse, with more than 400 species of cloud forest plants.
After admiring the transparent exterior of the Spheres, step inside to see the extensive collection of trees, shrubs, flowers and other vegetation. The first plant in the Spheres was an Australian tree fern provided by the University of Washington’s greenhouse, one of many partners in sourcing specimens. Rubi, a 49-foot (15-meter) Ficus tree, is the tallest plant in the Spheres. An additional 25,000 diverse plants grow on tall living walls.
Contrasting in shape, Day 1 is a high-rise filled with offices and unconventional common spaces where employees meet, work and relax. Look for inspiring quotations from Jeff Bezos, art displays, foosball and pingpong tables, shuffleboard courts and an infinite number of workers at laptops.
Doppler has a Harry Potter library and a wall full of sticky notes, a more hygienic version of the Gum Wall at Pike’s Place Market. Many employees bring their dogs to work. Notice the large dog park next to Spheres. It is open to the public and has green grass, downed logs and fire hydrants to entertain furry visitors.
Because Amazon encourages workers to leave the campus for lunch, the area surrounding the headquarters is filled with many restaurants catering to a wide variety of tastes.
Find the Amazon Corporate Headquarters less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) north of downtown Seattle. Buildings included in the tour are just east of Belltown, but other Amazon properties are located throughout the area extending to South Lake Union. Go to the Seattle Spheres website to reserve a spot for a free tour of the three buildings. The 1.5-hour tours are offered on most Tuesdays and Thursdays.
