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
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
New energy efficiency program, Tenant Star, gets OK from Congress
The voluntary program for commercial and government buildings is modeled after Energy Star.
High-rise Construction | Apr 30, 2015
World Trade Center developer looks to Bjarke Ingels for new tower design
Norman Foster’s design for 2 World Trade Center may be ousted, as developers are currently negotiating with Danish firm BIG to redesign the original scheme.
Office Buildings | Apr 30, 2015
U.S. office construction is approaching historic levels again
An estimated 108 million sf of office space were under construction in the U.S. at the end of the first quarter, a 17% gain over the same period a year ago, according to CoStar.
Wood | Apr 26, 2015
Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?
The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems.
Green | Apr 22, 2015
GSA's Federal Center South Building honored with AIA Top Ten Plus Award for 'verified' sustainable performance
The annual award recognizes green building projects that have quantifiable metrics demonstrating the performance and positive impact of the sustainable design.
Office Buildings | Apr 21, 2015
Stop the endless debate over open vs. closed work environments
Rather than be confused by the constant stream of opinions, leadership teams contemplating workplace investments should start with powerful employee engagement strategies that drive results.
Office Buildings | Apr 21, 2015
How to create an 'emotionally intelligent' workplace
Emotional intelligence is the leading predictor of performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence.
Office Buildings | Apr 8, 2015
Facebook plans to build two more Frank Gehry-designed offices
In addition to office space, Facebook’s development involves a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists.
Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2015
$100 billion 'city from scratch' taking shape in Saudi Arabia
The new King Abdullah Economic City was conceived to diversify the kingdom's oil-dependent economy by focusing more in its shipping industry.