Google HQ gets the green light

Internet provider Google has been given the go-ahead by Camden Council’s planning committee to build its new £1bn headquarters in King’s Cross, London.

Main contractor Lendlease will start on site next year on a contract believed to be worth around £350M.

The 11-storey building, designed by Heatherwick Studios and BIG, in collaboration with BDP, will be home to 4,000 workers on completion.

Thomas Heatherwick said: “Strong support for an ambitious building in an important part of the city and is more proof that London is not afraid of its future.”

Floor plans for the building include a wellness centre containing gyms, massage rooms a narrow swimming pool and multi-use indoor sports pitch.

There will also be a rooftop garden, split over multiple storeys and themed around three areas: a “plateau”, “gardens” and “fields”, planted with strawberries, gooseberries and sage.

Dubbed a “landscraper”, the finished building will be longer than the Shard is tall.

Google’s Joe Borrett, the company’s Head of Real Estate and Construction, said: “We are excited to be able to bring our London Googlers together in one campus, with a new purpose-built building that we’ve developed from the ground up.

“Our offices and facilities play a key part in shaping the Google culture, which is one of the reasons we are known for being among the best places to work in the industry.”