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The building by BIG und Heatherwick Studio for Google at London's King's Cross station shows its stepped levels on the outside.
Photo: Google

BIG life at Google

BIG and Thomas Heatherwick have together designed the new London offices of Google – the form is a flowing spatial cascade.
6/6/2017

For the London Google HQ, BIG architects and Heatherwick Office presented their design to the public. The 11-story building will be build downtown in the “Knowledge Quarter” next to King's Cross.

A park on the roof is one of the most spectacular features of the design.
Photo: Google

To make certain all the work spaces are as open and flowing as possible, fostering communications, the architects have designed multi-level stories that blend with one another, reminiscent of Rem Koolhaas’s Dutch Embassy building in Berlin. The entire office area is conceived as a coherent, staggered ascending space that culminates in a roof world that resembles a park and is intended as recreation space for the staff. By contrast, the ground floor is home to auditoriums, a market hall and retail outlets.

Openness and light were most important for the offices.
Photo: Google

Google believes the architecture of its buildings plays a considerable role in ensuring staff satisfaction: "Our offices and facilities play a key part in shaping the Google culture,” comments Joe Borrett, Director of Real Estate and Construction. This is why the design goes much further than just roof gardens: All the materials for the new building are evaluated and selected using “Google's Healthy Materials Program” to make certain only non-toxic and sustainable components are used. (fap)

The groundfloor of the new building is planned for shops and a market hall.
Photo: Google
Regent's Canal goes past the building's rear side.
Photo: Google
The narrow front side next to King's Cross station
Photo: Google