Amazon Spheres

Tech campus in Seattle, Washington, United States

About

What It Is

The Amazon Spheres are three interconnected glass conservatories forming part of the Amazon headquarters campus in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of Seattle, Washington ^[2]. Designed by architecture firm NBBJ and landscape firm Site Workshop, the domes range from 80 to 95 feet tall and are clad in over 2,600 glass panes arranged in a pentagonal hexecontahedron pattern ^[2]. The complex opened on January 30, 2018, and functions primarily as an employee workspace and lounge, while also offering limited public access through tours and a ground-floor visitor center ^[2].

Activities & Experiences

Visitors can explore Understory, a free public exhibit and visitor center located on the ground floor beneath the spheres, where they can learn about Amazon and the building itself ^[1][2]. Public access to the interior of the spheres is available through weekly guided tours of the Amazon headquarters campus and a twice-monthly weekend reservation program ^[2]. Inside, guests encounter more than 40,000 plants from 50 countries, divided across three domes representing Old World and New World cloud forest regions, including a four-story living wall housing 25,000 plants and carnivorous species from Asia ^[2]. The largest specimen is a 55-foot Ficus rubiginosa tree known as Rubi, lifted into the structure by crane in 2017 ^[2].

Practical Access

The spheres are located along Lenora Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Seattle, adjoining the Day 1 building ^[2]. The Understory visitor center is free to enter ^[1]. Interior access for the general public requires participation in the weekly headquarters tours or the twice-monthly weekend reservation program ^[2]. No visit duration, parking details, or transit information are provided in the sources.

Restrictions

The spheres are reserved primarily for Amazon employees; general public access to the interior is limited to scheduled tours and the reservation-based weekend program ^[2]. The facility was temporarily closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic ^[2]. No additional restrictions are noted in the sources.

What Makes It Distinctive

The Amazon Spheres house more than 40,000 plants from 50 countries, maintained at a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 percent humidity, creating a functioning cloud forest environment inside a corporate headquarters in an urban setting ^[2]. The structure has become a recognized landmark in Seattle, drawing comparisons to the Space Needle for its architectural ambition ^[2]. The combination of a working biophilic workspace, a curated living plant collection spanning over 1,000 species, and free public access through Understory makes it an unusual intersection of corporate architecture, botanical conservation, and public engagement ^[1][2].

Sources

1. Seattle Spheres
2. Amazon Spheres

• Open year-round
• Best months: January–December
• Typical duration: 1h

Access & fees

• free admission (provided: Nelly, editorial 10/15 (her screenshot))
• understory free entry (fee: none)

Things to do

• admire over 40,000 plants from thousands of species
• architecture and design appreciation
• enjoy seasonal botanical displays
• explore plant collection (focus: cloud forest biodiversity)
• explore the indoor tropical botanical conservatory
• learn about rare and exotic plants
• photograph the iconic glass domes and living walls
• relax at understory, the public café
• visit the "bird's nest" meeting structure (viewable from public areas)
• weekend reservation visits (frequency: twice-monthly)
• weekly campus guided tours (frequency: weekly)

Amenities

• cafeteria on-site (location: central dome)
• seating for 800 (type: tables, benches, meeting spaces)
• understory visitor center (fee: free)

Events & seasons

• corpse flower public viewing (window: bloom-dependent; Oct 2018, Jun 2019)

Features

• 40,000+ plants housed (species: 1,000+ · countries: 30+)
• 55-ft ficus tree 'rubi' (species: Ficus rubiginosa)
• four-story living wall (plants: 25,000 · includes: carnivorous species)
• interior climate controlled (temp: 72°F · humidity: 60%)
• old/new world plant zones (layout: west and east domes)
• three glass domes (height: 80–95 ft · panels: pentagonal hexecontahedron)

Nearby

• amazon day 1 building (relation: adjoining on Lenora St)
• denny triangle district (streets: 6th–7th Ave, Lenora St)

Good to know

• only open to public by reservation on the 1st and 3rd saturday of each month from 10am to 6pm
• opened january 30, 2018 (dedicated: January 29, 2018)
• primarily employee workspace (public access: tours and reservations)
• the Spheres gardens open the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, 10 AM to 6 PM, by free advance reservation; slots open 15 days ahead at 10 AM Pacific and book up fast (provided: Nelly, editorial 10/15 (her screenshot))
• the Understory, the public visitor center at the base, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, free, no reservation (provided: Nelly, editorial 10/15 (her screenshot))

Catalog identifier: AVIA-5ZHA-KHZ2C

Photos