Google has finally unveiled its new Google Campus, via detailed plans provided to the City of Mountain View, California. The new complex, set to be built just next door – to the east – of the company’s current “Googleplex,” features a tent-like canopy-based architecture. The design has changed a bit since the company’s initial proposal way back in 2015 and has only been made possible because a deal with LinkedIn was able to be reached with regard to the property. The planned complex also holds quite nicely to the company’s well-known mantra, “don’t be evil,” since it incorporates a lower level and surrounding area that are open to the public and mesh well with the current walks and bike paths – as well as the natural habitat that currently exists at the site. The plans are currently on the city’s home website and are available as a download as a 67-page PDF file.
The design, which has yet to be approved by the Mountain View city council, would take approximately two and a half years to build. It keeps many of the community and environment-focused ideologies of the existing Googleplex, but with a radically shifted architectural design for a much more “open” feel – in addition to better light, climate, and sound management. The lower floor and grounds of the two-store structure will be open to the public 24/7 and feature restaurants, shaded seating, and a natural, well-landscaped park-like atmosphere. A continuation of the “green loop” from the Googleplex next door will be implemented for walking or cycling through the more nature-focused areas, as well as a pathway that cuts through the lower building. Google business matters will take place upstairs, with the floor being planned to house open office spaces that are easily reconfigurable.
The City of Mountain View has already held one public meeting to discuss the planned structure, with a second public meeting “tentatively” scheduled for March 7 at 6:30 PM. While there are obviously any number of reasons local residents could ultimately disapprove of the plans, Google has obviously put a lot of thought into the overall design of the complex and surrounding area. The planning documents even show that the company has committed to ensuring that the building will not be disruptive of local flora and fauna – including a native burrowing owl species and indigenous plant life.
