When you hear the name Steve Jobs, most people automatically connect him with Apple, but it’s often forgotten what a huge role he played in the success of Pixar. To honor Jobs, Pixar has renamed the main building of its campus to “The Steve Jobs Building.” Interestingly, Jobs also played a big role in designing the building. A photo of the building was first tweeted by Pixar employee Junn Lee.
This marks the second tribute to Steve Jobs by Pixar, following a tribute in the end credits of the movie Brave. Jobs financed the work at the Pixar studio long before it became a profitable business, contributing millions of dollars out of his own pocket to keep the business running because he believed in the work it was doing.
If you look closely at the picture, you can see the outline of the Monsters Inc. character Sulley, confirming that this is the building that Jobs designed. He designed the building after having worked with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, who designed the iconic Fifth Avenue Apple Store. According to Office Snapshots, Jobs really wanted to create a building that “stood the test of time” and that would “look good 100 years from now.” Jobs especially wanted to create a space that “promoted encounters and unplanned collaborations.”
The design of Pixar’s campus originally separated employees according to their focus — one building for scientists, another for animators, and a third for everyone else. Jobs really wanted to change this. According to Brad Bird, who directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille, “The atrium initially might seem like a waste of space…But Steve realized that when people run into each other, when they make eye contact, things happen.”
And did it work as well as Jobs had hoped? “Steve’s theory worked from day one. I’ve never seen a building that promoted collaboration and creativity as well as this one,” said John Lasseter, Pixar’s chief creative officer.
This is a great way to honor the man who did so much for Pixar and to make sure he is never forgotten.
Image Credit: Junn Lee
