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
| Dec 9, 2011
BEST AEC FIRMS 2011: EYP Architecture & Engineering
Expertise-Driven Design: At EYP Architecture & Engineering, growing the business goes hand in hand with growing the firm’s people.
| Dec 8, 2011
HDR opens office in Shanghai
The office, located in the Chong Hing Finance Center in Shanghai’s busy Huangpu District, will support HDR’s design efforts throughout Asia.
| Dec 8, 2011
HOK elevates the green office standard
Firm achieves LEED Platinum certification in New York office that overlooks Bryant Park.
| Dec 6, 2011
?ThyssenKrupp acquires Sterling Elevators Services
The acquisition of Sterling Elevator Services Corporation is the third acquisition completed by ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG in the last three months in North America.
| Dec 6, 2011
New office building features largest solar panel system in New Orleans
Woodward Design+Build celebrates grand opening of new green headquarters in Central City.
| Dec 5, 2011
Gables Residential brings mixed-use building to Houston's Tanglewood area
The design integrates a detailed brick and masonry facade, acknowledging the soft pastel color palette of the surrounding Mediterranean heritage of Tanglewood.
| Dec 5, 2011
SchenkelShultz Architecture designs Dr. Phillips Charities Headquarters building in Orlando
The building incorporates sustainable architectural features, environmentally friendly building products, energy-efficient systems, and environmentally-sensitive construction practices.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 1, 2011
VLK Architects’ office receives LEED certification
The West 7th development, which houses the firm’s office, was designed to be LEED for Core & Shell, which gave VLK the head start on finishing out the area for LEED Silver Certification CI.
| Nov 22, 2011
Corporate America adopting revolutionary technology
The survey also found that by 2015, the standard of square feet allocated per employee is expected to drop from 200 to estimates ranging from 50 to 100 square feet per person dependent upon the industry sector.
