Amazon’s second headquarters will bring new aesthetic and environmental standards to Arlington.
(photo by Kyle LaFerriere courtesy of Amazon)
AMAZON’S SECOND HEADQUARTERS will dramatically change Arlington’s skyline when construction wraps in 2025. Not only will the three 22-story buildings provide 2.8 million square feet of new office space, but one of them—dubbed The Helix—will feature two walkable paths of landscaped terrain spiraling up the outside of the building.
A true double helix in shape and structure, the building will feature lush gardens of plants and trees you would usually find on a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains. “And because innovative technology often derives from the intersection of art and science, we’ve planned an artist-in-residence program to be hosted within The Helix,” Amazon spokesman John Schoettler writes in a company newsblog. “Local artists, in collaboration with our employees, will be inspired by the nature within the building as they create their pieces,” he says.
The towers will be powered by an electric utility plant at a solar farm in Pittsylvania County. The all-electric central heating and cooling system will run on 100-percent renewable energy, aligning with Amazon’s Climate Pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040.
Construction for the project began in January. Despite many employees working from home during the pandemic, Amazon says it views its new Arlington headquarters as a long-term investment and remains committed to creating 25,000 jobs while investing $2.5 billion over the next decade.
“This project is extraordinary in many respects,” Arlington County Board chair Christian Dorsey said in a news release, adding that the Amazon facility “comes with energy commitments that are unprecedented in Arlington.”
This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue.
