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
Office Buildings | Mar 4, 2021
1905 industrial building set to become Acciona’s new office in Madrid
Foster + Partners is designing the project.
Office Buildings | Mar 3, 2021
Turano Baking Company’s new HQ and test kitchen completes in Oak Park, Ill.
Wright Heerema Architects designed the project.
Office Buildings | Feb 26, 2021
KWK Architects repurposes industrial site and warehouse into office space for Washington University School of Medicine
The project’s first two phases have been completed with the third and final phase under way.
Coronavirus | Feb 24, 2021
COVID-19 spurs need for specific building solutions
A medical supply house’s new call center and a vaccination module that can handle more patients faster are among the latest projects.
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Office Buildings | Feb 18, 2021
Bungie breaks ground on new, expanded HQ
NBBJ is designing the project.
Great Solutions | Feb 11, 2021
Simplifying the return to the office
A new web-based tool from Sasaki takes the guesswork out of heading back to the workplace.
Office Buildings | Feb 8, 2021
Walgreens Technology Center of Excellence completes in Chicago’s Old Post Office
Stantec designed the project.
Office Buildings | Feb 8, 2021
Six lessons learned from our first Fitwel Viral Response Module certification
The Fitwel Viral Response Module is one of several frameworks that real estate owners and operators can use to obtain third-party certification for their efforts ensuring their properties are ready for a safer and healthier return to work.
Building Owners | Feb 4, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 4, 2021: The rise of healthy buildings and human performance
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Brookfield Properties, NBBJ, and UL about healthy buildings certification and improving human performance through research-based design.
