Core blimey! Apple's new 'spaceship' HQ to house 13,000 staff AND its own natural power plant

It's been billed as 'the best office building in the world' - and, so far, it seems Apple's new HQ is living up to the hype.

These incredible images show exactly what the firm's new Apple Campus 2, in Cupertino, California, will look like when completed in 2015.

Appearing as a giant saucer, amidst a dense jungle of trees, the 175-acre Silicon Valley site near the 280 Highway will house 13,000 staff.

Futuristic: This incredible new image shows what Apple's new HQ in Cupertino, California, will look like when completed in 2015

Dubbed 'The Spaceship' because of its 360-degree curved glass fronted walls and central courtyard, it will also contain a 1,000 seat auditorium, a gym and 300,000 square feet of 'research' space.

The 2.8 million square foot HQ will have underground parking, so that 80 per cent of the site can be covered in trees - and clean energy sources, primarily natural gas, will provide its power. The local energy grid will only be accessed in emergencies.

Peaceful: Workers strolling around its exterior may think they are in the middle of the countryside, and not in the middle of a bustling city

Advanced: The new building has been dubbed 'The Spaceship' because of its 360-degree curved glass fronted walls and central courtyard

Development: Steve Jobs said his firm was 'growing like a weed' and that it had 'a shot at building the best office building in the world'

From these concept images, released this week by Cupertino City Council, workers strolling outside the building may feel they are in open countryside.

But by looking at the overhead impression it is clear they will, in fact, be in the middle of a bustling city.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the plans for the spectacular circular-shaped HQ, on former Hewlett-Packard property, to Cupertino City Council in June.

He said his firm was 'growing like a weed' and added: 'We do have a shot at building the best office building in the world. I really do think architecture students will come here to see this.'

Overhead: Workers may think they are in a rural paradise, but from this aerial image it is clear they are in the middle of a city

Plans: These images were released by Cupertino City Council, which is in favour of the development

Hidden: More than 80 per cent of the new site will be covered in trees, as shown here with projected views from the east and the west

Office space: The new site has been dubbed 'The Spaceship'

The company’s current  Cupertino office, called 1 Infinite Loop and which will still be used by the firm, can only fit around 2,600 people. This has seen Apple renting buildings to house its other 9,000 employees.

Mr Jobs added in his 20-minute presentation on the new project: 'It's a pretty amazing building. It's a little like a spaceship landed. There is not a straight piece of glass in this building.'

Cupertino City Council said it still had to review the environmental impact of the project and have a few more public hearings before it was actually approved. But it is believed these will be a formality.

Architects Foster and Partners are working with ARUP North America and Kier & Wright engineers on the scheme.

Mr Jobs, 56, who is worth an astonishing $8.3billion, lives in Palo Alto, California, and has four children.

Current location: Steve Jobs says Apple has outgrown its headquarters in Cupertino (pictured) and needs to move, but will still keep this site