What does $165 billion look like? It only takes a few minutes of driving west on Loop 303 from I-17 to get a glimpse. Emerging from the desert of North Phoenix, TSMC Arizona is already a colossal sight from the freeway, even at this early stage. The first fab, now producing chips, is a silver-gray monolith that overlooks a vast solar-covered parking lot for employees, vendors and visitors.
As a visitor myself, I parked in the shade before taking the long walk up to a smaller, glass-faced building with a metallic bezel matching the color of the fab next to it. The continuity between the Gown Building and its neighbor goes beyond aesthetics — a skybridge connects the two structures like docked spaceships in a sci-fi movie.
Inside, a receptionist standing behind a wide desk exchanged my phone and driver’s license for a security badge. A man sporting a highlighter-yellow safety vest and stickered hardhat introduced himself a few minutes later before unlocking a side door leading to a conference room…