Google is constructing a new headquarters in London to pull all of its operations under one roof. Keeping in line with the exquisite design plans we are used to from the company, the new building is going to be 330 meters long, longer than the Shard skyscraper is tall, earning the name: ‘groundscraper.’
The new investment, situated at King's Cross Central, is the latest overseas property deal by the cash-rich US internet group, which will house all of its London staff under one roof when completed in 2017.
The company aims to create an enormous, 11-storey HQ, multi-levelled, ranging from seven stories high at one end to 11 at the other. Google's future HQ will take in a gross space of 1,000,000 square feet, including 725,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of ground level retail space, plus 20,000 square feet of bike parking. The architectural firm Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) is responsible for constructing the 27-hectare establishment.
Its structure will be supported by a steel-frames coated with primary colours, the architects claim that the rather bland glass and steel look takes inspiration from the surrounding area’s industrial heritage. Naturally, the building was also designed to be environmentally sustainable with its low energy usage.
The project will cost a staggering 650 million pounds and is calculated to be worth one billion pounds once it is completed. Furthermore, Google added that the push to build its new HQ will create some 1,500 construction jobs, while the King's Cross Central Limited Partnership estimates that regeneration efforts in the area will bring a total of 35,000 jobs.
Nonetheless, the way the company deals with taxes still sparks controversy, since the decision to buy rather than rent was likely "tax motivated", driven by the fact the company cannot repatriate the cash to the US without paying a fat tax bill.
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