Mountain View Approves 18.6-Acre Google Campus Expansion
Last week, the Mountain View City Council gave their approval for Google to build an 18.6-acre expansion to their sprawling campus that includes 595,000 square feet of commercial space.
From above, “Google Charleston East” might look like one massive “meringue pie,” but it’s actually “a cluster of buildings, all housed within a tent-like canopy.” That canopy isn’t just for show but will also be a massive solar array, generating five megawatts of power.
Along with that centerpiece attraction, the expansion is expected to house up to 2,700 Google employees plus contractors and other service professionals. A walkway will lead to the center of the structure where a promenade of shops and cafes will be open to the public as well as employees.
Construction will call for the removal of 159 trees but Google says they plan to plant around 260 new trees along the property.
Designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingles Group, this expansion is the latest in a series of large-scale growth projects by tech giants. Google joins the construction arms race started by Apple (The spaceship-like Apple Park and Facebook (Frank Gehry-designed New HQ).