ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — Amazon is planning to build a 350-foot-tall tower in the shape of a double helix as part of the second phase of its 2.5 billion-dollar headquarters in Arlington County in Virginia.<br /><br />CNN reports that construction on the first phase is already well underway at the site, and Amazon's plans for the second phase have just been submitted to authorities. <br /><br />Dubbed PenPlace, the newly unveiled proposal for the project's second phase will provide a further 2.8 million square feet of office space across three 22-story buildings. <br /><br />The site's focal point will be The Helix, a tree-covered glass structure where a series of "alternative work environments" will be set amid indoor gardens and greenery from the nearby area. <br /><br />"We're doing a lot on the site to connect people to nature," said lead architect Dale Alberda in a video interview, adding that the design aims to symbolize both nature and science. <br /><br />"But with the Helix we really take that to the extreme," Alberda said in the interview. A spiral "hill climb" will also allow employees and visitors to ascend the outside of the structure.
