Expedia's future home on the Seattle waterfront. Photo via Expedia.
Expedia’s future home on the Seattle waterfront. Photo via Expedia.

The architectural firm behind the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in Manhattan and Square’s new 100,000 square-foot headquarters will help Expedia build its new headquarters in Seattle.

Expedia announced today that it hired Seattle-based Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design its 40-acre campus on Seattle’s waterfront, which is set to open in 2018.

The online travel giant first revealed its plans to relocate from Bellevue back in April, paying nearly $229 million to buy the picturesque campus from Amgen, which announced plans to close its Seattle complex along Elliott Bay last July.

Inside the old Amgen space, which will be remodeled for Expedia. Photo courtesy of Expedia.
Inside the old Amgen space, which will be remodeled for Expedia. Photo courtesy of Expedia.

Founded in 1965, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson helped design Seattle City Hall and the Ballard Library. The late Steve Jobs also picked the firm to design Pixar’s open corporate headquarters in 1999.

expediamove“It was important to Expedia to choose an architect that could help us build an iconic headquarters befitting the global technology company we are,” Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement. “BCJ really stood out as a firm that would bring our vision to life with a campus that highlights who we are as a work hard, play hard global leader in technology with a passion for travel and deep roots in the Pacific Northwest.”

Peter Bohlin, Founding Principal of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, said in a statement that “our vision is for an innovative balance of new and existing buildings that reflects the spirit of Expedia, as well as the natural beauty of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.”

Today’s announcement was posted to MeetExpedia.com, a new site created by the company “so that you could get to know a little about our people, our culture, and the move itself – and to give you a chance to get your questions answered.” It includes basic information about Expedia and its new campus.

Expedia, founded in the 1990s as a Microsoft spin-off, employs about 3,000 people in the Seattle region, out of approximately 15,000 people worldwide. The new building will accommodate as many as 1,500 more employees Expedia plans to hire in the next few years.

More Coverage: Expedia relocating to Seattle

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