Amazon’s proposed PenPlace development in Arlington, Virginia, put The Helix—a double-helix-shaped building with landscaped paths spiraling around its exterior—at the center of the design. But the striking building was only one element of a larger plan for offices, a public park, retail pavilions and pedestrian routes. Arlington County extended the site plan’s validity through June 30, 2028; that extension does not establish that construction has begun.
What is The Helix?
The Helix was proposed as part of PenPlace, the second phase of Amazon’s HQ2 development in Arlington. Amazon announced the design on May 12, 2021, and said it was created by architecture firm NBBJ. The company described a double-helix form with two walkable paths of landscaped terrain spiraling up the outside, with plantings inspired by regional landscapes. Amazon’s announcement said the paths would offer employees alternative work settings amid gardens.
Amazon also said it planned to open The Helix to the public on select weekends each month. That was a proposed access arrangement in the 2021 announcement, not confirmation of a current visitor schedule.
What did the wider PenPlace proposal include?
Arlington County describes the proposal as about 3.3 million square feet across four buildings: three 22-story office buildings and The Helix. The County characterizes The Helix as a biophilic structure with Mid-Atlantic native plantings. The broader plan also included a 2.5-acre public open space, detached retail pavilions and underground vehicle access. Arlington County’s PenPlace project page records the project components; the County Board adopted the Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines on April 23, 2022. The park-plan page provides that planning context.
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The building and its landscape
In a 2022 project account, Amazon said the proposed Helix design included more than 25,000 square feet of planting areas and living walls, formal and informal meeting areas, an artist-in-residence program and a meeting center. These are features described for the design, not verified operating facilities. Amazon’s project account also connects the landscape concept to the company’s broader description of the building.
Amazon’s July 2021 landscape feature named SCAPE and founding principal Kate Orff in connection with the open-space design, which the company said drew inspiration from Mid-Atlantic landscapes and local ecology. Amazon’s landscape feature describes that approach.
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What changed after community feedback?
In an October 28, 2021 update, Amazon said it revised PenPlace after community feedback. The changes it described included wider east-west paths, a mid-block stair, protected bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks in areas expected to carry heavier pedestrian traffic. Amazon also said moving vehicle circulation, parking and loading underground would enable one contiguous 2.5-acre public park. These are the company’s account of the revisions and their intended effect. Read Amazon’s design update.
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Is PenPlace built, and can visitors go to The Helix?
The available project record does not establish that PenPlace construction has started or that the proposed weekend visitor access is operating. Arlington County reported that on June 14, 2025, the County Board extended the site plan’s validity by three years, through June 30, 2028, to give the applicant more time to commence construction. A validity extension is a planning milestone, not evidence of a construction start. For the latest confirmed project status and any current access information, consult Arlington County’s PenPlace page rather than relying on the 2021 visitor plan.
PenPlace is distinct from Metropolitan Park, Amazon’s first HQ2 phase. Amazon’s design announcements describe plans, while renderings and proposed features alone do not show that the second phase has been completed.
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How PenPlace fits into the wider HQ2 commitment
Arlington County says Amazon selected Arlington on November 13, 2018, after considering 238 proposals. The County’s overview reports a commitment of more than $2 billion in investment and at least 25,000 jobs by 2030 for the wider HQ2 undertaking; those figures are not specific to PenPlace. The County’s HQ2 overview provides the broader context.
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