On January 20, 1994, Silicon Graphics president and chief executive officer Edward R. McCracken and Mountain View Mayor Dena Bonnell today broke ground for the company's first local development project, located on a site near the intersection of Highway 101 and Shoreline Boulevard.The building was designed and rendered in three dimensions using a Silicon Graphics Onyx(tm) graphics supercomputer which allows viewers to experience the planned facility through a computer simulation.
The two-story building will serve as headquarters of the company's North American Field Operations and be the gateway structure to Silicon Graphics' main campus on Shoreline Boulevard. In addition to 100,000 square feet of office space, it will house 12,000 square feet of corporate, customer and technical training facilities. The project should be completed in February 1995, when more than 300 employees will be moved from existing facilities on the Shoreline campus to accomodate continued growth of research and development activities.
"Silicon Graphics has a deep commitment to the local community and we are delighted to begin construction of a building that reflects the spirit, imagination and creativity of our company," said McCracken. "Remaining in the Valley -- the heart of technology innovation -- will enable us to draw upon the resources of this intellectually-rich community. In addition, the buildings' facilities will be available for community use.""Mountain View is proud to be the home of Silicon Graphics, the leader in the visual computing industry," said Mayor Bonnell at the ceremony. "Their products allow people to share information and ideas effectively and see the impact of a new project before it is completed. This technology encourages constructive interaction in the community planning process."
