Google's £650m UK HQ wins planning

Google’s £650m UK headquarters building in London’s Kings Cross has been granted planning permission.

A Camden council development control committee meeting last night opted to approve the 950,000 sq ft scheme, which includes 870,681 sq ft of offices; 53,259 sq ft of shops, food and drink facilities and recreation facilities including a roof-top running track and swimming pool.

AHMM is the architect, Bam Construction is the main contractor and Davis Langdon is the cost manager.

The massive project, dubbed Project Queen by the internet giant, will boast a swimming pool and a running track on the roof and space for as many as 5,000 workers.

Bam Construction will start work early next year on what will be one of the company’s largest offices outside its Googleplex corporate headquarters in California.

Back in June, Simon Allford, director of AHMM, said: “This building is underpinned by cutting edge design intelligence and technologies to provide a sophisticated twenty first century working environment for Google’s staff.

“The architectural approach, which has taken inspiration from King’s Cross and St Pancras International railway stations, complements the local area’s strong industrial heritage and will be a building London can be proud of.”