9 Images Reveal Otherworldly Design For New Google Campus
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) - Google is tired of all of their innovation taking place in "immovable concrete buildings" and they've come up with a design for their Mountain View headquarters that matches their avant-garde reputation.
"Today we're submitting a plan to redevelop four sites—places where we already have offices but hope to significantly increase our square footage—to the Mountain View City Council. It's the first time we'll design and build offices from scratch," the company wrote in a blog post Friday. "The idea is simple. Instead of constructing immoveable concrete buildings, we'll create lightweight block-like structures which can be moved around easily as we invest in new product areas."
The project will be known as the North Bayshore campus proposal and is the design is the work of famed architects Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Heatherwick. Images of the planned structure reveal a translucent covering that will allow in outside air and plenty of sunlight. Here are the photos released Friday:
"Silicon Valley has been an engine of innovation driving technological evolution and global economy. So far the majority of these vast intellectual and economical resources have been confined to the digital realm – Google North Bayshore expands this innovative spirit into the physical realm," Ingles said in a statement. "Together with Heatherwick Studio and Google we have set out to imagine the work environments of future Googlers to be as adaptable, flexible and intelligent as the rest of Google's wide spanning portfolio – rather than an insular corporate headquarter, Google North Bayshore will be a vibrant new neighborhood of Mountain View."
Here's his video explanation of the project:
"It's definitely going to be innovative, creative. They've hired very talented and world class architects, and it's precisely what I'm looking for as Mountain View develops into a world class city," said Mountain View City Councilman Ken Rosenberg.
The company's closest neighbors, including LinkedIn, Microsoft and others will submit their own expansion ideas as the city moves to finalize its North Bayshore plan.
Up for grabs in the 500 acre pocket near the Shorline Amphitheater are rights to develop another 3.4 million square feet of office space.
"It's one of the most rapidly growing office parks in the world. In some ways that's a blessing," said Lenny Siegel of the City Council, who said the growth also creates challenges. "It's driven up the cost of housing, displacing a lot of people who have been living here and it's created an enormous traffic problem."
The City has already warned the companies not to submit their plans without specific ideas on how to solve the area's already chronic housing and transportation problems.
Google's comments on the proposal Friday included plans for a bike path and energy offsets, but not specifically alleviating traffic and affordable housing concerns.
