Facebook is getting a new campus, adjacent to its current headquarters in Menlo Park California. The design of the new ‘Willow Campus’ masterplan was commissioned to OMA’s New York office led by partner Shohei Shigematsu. The ‘Campus’ will be a mixed-use neighborhood comprising 1,500 residential units, 125,000 sqft retail space, and parks, among other community-oriented facilities.
© OMA
“It’s exciting to collaborate with Facebook, whose innovation in networking and social media extends to urban ambitions for connectivity in the Bay Area,” said Shigematsu. “The Willow Campus masterplan creates a sense of place with diverse programming that responds to the needs of the Menlo Park community. The site has the potential to impact the future of regional transportation, housing, and the environment.”
© OMA
The new development by Facebook is aimed to get the Menlo Park community closer together and serve its needs. “We found a home when we moved to Menlo Park in 2011. We are part of this community, and being here makes it possible for us to work on our mission to bring the world closer together,” said John Tenanes, Facebook’s VP of Global Faculties and Real Estate.
He, also, pointed out in his statement that the new project will contribute to housing efforts by providing below-market-rate units, and it will deal with traffic congestion by enhancing the transit infrastructure for the neighborhood. The initial investment in this project amounts to $18.5 million, and the first phase is planned to be completed by 2021.
