Apple's Spaceship Campus Will Have a Flying Saucer Auditorium

Amid all the excitement around Apple's recent iPad event, some of us may have missed a new set of images for the company's new campus that emerged in the last couple of weeks. The drawings depict an event auditorium that mirrors the flying saucer aesthetic of the main building, but in a much more interesting way.

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Found in a set of images posted to the Cupertino City Hall website, discovered by the Apple Gazette, the circular, glass enclosed structure is actually an entrance to an underground auditorium.

Additional images shared on the website of one of the architects working for the firm contracted to build Apple's new headquarters also show off aerial and side views of the structure.

Mirroring the architectural approach of Apple's Fifth Avenue glass cube building, the outside is completely made of glass, topped off by a white disc, which from a distance makes the roof appear as if it's hovering in mid-air.

Included in the building's design are two circular elevators leading to the underground facility, another architectural touch borrowed from the Fifth Avenue store.

The 1,000 seat auditorium, along with the distinctive main building, are expected to be completed sometime in 2016.

BONUS: 9 Awesomely Beautiful Apple Store Designs

1. 

   Pudong (Shanghai)

   Apple made its Louvre-like design famous in New York, but Shanghai's stunning cylindrical glass entrance is a sight to see. A glass spiral staircase leads shoppers to the store below.

2. 

   Paris, France

   The Apple Opéra Store – facing the city's famous Opera de Paris, is gorgeous and very Parisian. The location, which opened in 2010, features original décor from the bank that once occupied the space. Inside, carved wooden stairs with wrought-iron railings connect the floors, instead of Apple's signature glass and chrome steps.

3. 

   Aix en Provence, France

   This artist rendering recently appeared in AixEnProvence.fr magazine and is said to be the design for Apple's latest location in Aix en Provence, France. According to the image, the store will be a low-lying building made entirely of glass walls with just one solid, wood wall where the Genius Bar would be. It's expected to open in late 2012 or early 2013.

4. 

   Covent Garden, London

   The Apple Store in Covent Garden is the heart of London. It features sweeping, covered archways outside the historic store and a central see-through ceiling inside. The interior also features two glass staircases, a spiral and a square-shaped one.

5. 

   Grand Central, New York

   What sets the Grand Central Station store in New York City apart from others – in addition to its record size of 23,000 square feet, making it the largest in the world – is its location. The store overlooks and wraps around the main concourse of New York's classic commuter station from the East and North East balconies of the main concourse, which serves as a beautiful backdrop to the Apple experience. Some 750,000 people pass by the store in an average day.

6. 

   Nanjing East (Shanghai)

   Instead of Apple's typical square-like exterior, the coating of glass that lines the Nanjing East (Shanghai) store is rounded on its corners.

7. 

   Sanlitun (Bejing)

   Apple's flagship store in Bejing in its Sanlitun shopping distract made the news recently after angry customers tossed eggs at the location after it cancelled the launch of the iPhone 4S -- due to the amount of people that flocked to the store and to ensure safety in the area. Launched in 2008, this was the company's first Apple store in China.

8. 

   IFC Mall (Hong Kong)

   Apple's flagship store in Hong Kong – which launched in September 2011 – is unique in that it sits on what resembles an overpass, so cars can drive below.

9. 

   Fifth Avenue, New York

   Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York has become iconic for its Louvre-like glass design and plunging glass staircase. Launched in 2006, the store is now a model for innovative design. Apple recently renovated the glass cube for an estimated cost of $6.6 million.

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Images: Cupertino City Hall