bjarke ingels and thomas heatherwick reveal google's california HQ

images have been released detailing google’s new headquarters located in mountain view, california. the vast 316,000 square meter masterplan is the collaborative work of danish firm bjarke ingels group and the british studio of thomas heatherwick. the announcement marks the first time that the multinational corporation has built a complex from scratch.

instead of constructing immoveable concrete buildings, the proposal comprises lightweight block structures which can be moved to accommodate for future use. large translucent canopies cover each site, controlling the internal climate while letting in daylight and ventilation. a variety of trees, cafés, and bike paths weave their way through these structures, dissolving the boundaries between the built and natural environment.

all images courtesy of bjarke ingels group and heatherwick studio

‘this project is about much more than just office space; it’s about doing more with the local community as well’, explained david radcliffe, google’s vice president of real estate. ‘we’re adding lots of bike paths and retail opportunities, like restaurants for local businesses. we also hope to bring new life to the unique local environment, from enhancing burrowing owl habitats to widening creek beds.’

‘we scoured the world looking for a special architect who could really do something different’, continued radcliffe. ‘we really got down to what we believe are the two best in class.’

‘when we met each other in mountain view we thought it would be interesting to work with each other, and google, to come up with something that would be much more creative than anything we could have come up with ourselves’, said bjarke ingels.

‘when you visit the google campus there are lots of trees,’ notes thomas heatherwick, ‘but there’s this constant undermining of that by the road system and the infrastructure required for all of those cars. it feels like trees are street furniture.

‘everything has turned into parking lots,’ continues ingels. ‘we are trying to reverse this process and recreate some of the natural qualities that have been there in the first place. to transform the sea of parking that you find today, into a natural landscape where you will find an abundance of green outside, but also inside.’

1/4