Google’s King’s Cross Campus has taken another step forward as the company recently submitted an application for planning permission to Camden Council.
The London HQ, which will be purpose-built and is designed by BIG and Heatherwick Studio, will rise 11 stories and comprise over 1 million sf. Google will occupy 650,000 sf of the new campus. The building will include cafes, gym and pool facilities, a covered multi-use games area, an Events Center, and staff training facilities.
A landscaped roof will include terraces and a walking trail that stretches the length of the building while the ground floor will provide space for retail. “By opening up the ground floor and activating the roofscape, the light and airy workspaces are sandwiched between the terraced gardens on the roof and market halls, auditoria, and shops on the ground,” says Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner at BIG, in a release.
The building has been designed from a family of interchangeable elements that allow the headquarters’ workspaces to quickly and easily adapt to change. When combined with the current building at 6 Pancras Square and an additional third building, the new campus has the potential to house up to 7,000 Google employees.
Rendering courtesy of HayesDavidson.
Three main points are laid out about the project’s design in the application’s Executive Summary of Inclusivity:
— The design principles are extremely coherent and aim to produce a building that has a high degree of architectural legibility and therefore ease of use.
— The organization of major floor plates and minor floor plates provides a wide range of features that will assist users in their navigation of what could otherwise be a complex building.
— The ground plane provides a great opportunity for the public to interact with the building, creating permeability and a transition between the private spaces and the public realm.
Rendering courtesy of HayesDavidson.
If the application is approved, the project could break ground in 2018.
You can view the entire application for planning permission here.
Rendering courtesy of HayesDavidson.
Rendering courtesy of HayesDavidson.
Related Stories
| Feb 14, 2013
Guardian DiamondGuard installed in the Empire State Building
Guardian Industries DiamondGuard glass was recently installed on the 102nd story of the Empire State Building in New York City as part of an extensive renovation to update this venerable landmark.
| Feb 12, 2013
OMA's 'perimeter core' design wins competition for Essence Financial Building in Shenzhen
OMA partners David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas rethink traditional office tower design with a plan that shifts the building's core to the edge for large, unobstructed plans.
| Feb 8, 2013
5 factors to consider when designing a shade system
Designing a shade system is more complex than picking out basic white venetian blinds. Here are five elements to consider when designing an interior shade system.
| Feb 6, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: office buildings and medical offices
RSMeans' February 2013 Cost Comparison Report breaks down the average construction costs per square foot for four types of office buildings across 25 metro markets.
| Feb 1, 2013
Delinquency rate for U.S. commercial real estate loans hits 11-month low
The delinquency rate for U.S. commercial real estate loans in CMBS fell 14 basis points in January to 9.57%. This is the lowest level in 11 months, according to Trepp, LLC's latest U.S. CMBS Delinquency Report.
| Jan 31, 2013
The Opus Group completes construction of corporate HQ for Church & Dwight Co.
The Opus Group announced today the completion of construction on a new 250,000-square-foot corporate headquarter campus for Church & Dwight Co., Inc., in Ewing Township, near Princeton, N.J.
| Jan 31, 2013
More cities requiring large buildings to use EPA’s energy management and reporting
In 2012, Philadelphia joined several other U.S. cities in passing a requirement that large buildings use Portfolio Manager, the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy management tool, to measure and report energy performance.
| Jan 29, 2013
Astellas' New Headquarters for the Americas Earns LEED Gold Certification
The new headquarters for Astellas in the Americas in Northbrook, Ill., has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC.
| Jan 16, 2013
SOM’s innovative Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza opens
The 2.59-million-square-feet building houses a mixed-use program of offices on its lower floors and a 416-room hotel.