Microsoft will spend billions overhauling its Redmond campus with space for 8,000 extra employees and a 2-acre plaza (MSFT)

Microsoft is planning to overhaul its Redmond (Seattle), Washington campus in a multibillion-dollar operation that will take between five and seven years to complete.

The new construction will add about 2.5 million sq. feet (0,23 sq. kms) of new space that will allow the company to bring 8,000 new employees on campus (the current campus occupies about 15 million sq. feet, or 1.39 sq. kms, and hosts over 47,000 employees).

The plan seeks to demolish up to 12 buildings and make room for an additional 18, which will also be taller (four floors, as opposed to two or three floors) and be based around more open spaces, meant to encourage collaboration between colleagues.

The 125 buildings that make Microsoft's campus will become 131 when the project is complete, with the inclusion of "$150 million (£112 million) in transportation infrastructure improvements, public spaces, sports fields and green space," Microsoft's blog post reads.

There is a big emphasis on the outdoor space within the campus, with the highlight being a 2-acre open plaza which will be able to host up to 12,000 people at once, as well as transport, which will link Redmond with Seattle with a Link Light Rail scheduled to open in 2023.

You can watch Microsoft's full introduction video below.

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