GOOGLE has confirmed that London will be the home of the first wholly owned and designed Google building outside of the United States.

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced yesterday that the company will build a ten-storey purpose-built HQ at King’s Cross in London – a major vote of confidence in the capital following the EU referendum result earlier this year.

The new building, designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), will provide 650,000 sq ft of office space.

It will be Google’s third building at their King’s Cross campus, with the technology giant already occupying 6 Pancras Square, and construction of a second property they’ve leased already underway.

The trio of buildings at the Google campus will eventually accommodate 7,000 employees across 1 million square of office space.

Pichai commented: “Here in the UK, it’s clear to me that computer science has a great future with the talent, educational institutions, and passion for innovation we see all around us. We are committed to the UK and excited to continue our investment in our new King’s Cross campus.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is a vote of confidence in our great city –  creating high-skilled jobs, supporting growth and demonstrating that London is open to business, new investment and talent from around the globe. London is one the world’s leading technology hubs and investment into the capital post-Brexit remains robust, so Google’s expansion will further strengthen our city’s reputation as a global leader in digital technology.”

Joint designers Thomas Heatherwick & Bjarke Ingels  added: “From the beginning, the project to give Google a new home in King’s Cross has been extraordinary. Rather than impose a universal style on Google’s buildings in the UK and the USA, we have tried to create an interestingness that fits the scale and the community of King’s Cross. The Silicon Valley startup garage meets the London train sheds in a building that couples clarity with eccentricity and anchors innovation with heritage.“

Aerial view of London’s Kings Cross showing where the new Google HQ will be

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