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| Harry Potter, nap pods and cookery classes: the first pictures from inside Google’s new King’s Cross HQ | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Google is about to open the doors to its new London headquarters, featuring sleeping pods, Harry Potter themed rooms, a running track ansd £17,000 sofas. | Google is about to open the doors to its new London headquarters, featuring sleeping pods, Harry Potter themed rooms, a running track ansd £17,000 sofas. |
| The new office will become home to 120 engineers in the next few months as it begins its move into 6 Pancras Square. | The new office will become home to 120 engineers in the next few months as it begins its move into 6 Pancras Square. |
| On Monday, around 800 software engineers will be the first of 2,500 Google employees to relocate in the brand new 371,000 square feet, 11 storeys office, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). | On Monday, around 800 software engineers will be the first of 2,500 Google employees to relocate in the brand new 371,000 square feet, 11 storeys office, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). |
| The staff in Kings Cross will be working on popular products such as Android and Google Play. | The staff in Kings Cross will be working on popular products such as Android and Google Play. |
| Employees will be given free food and drinks throughout the working day as well as access to a 90m running track and a gym. | Employees will be given free food and drinks throughout the working day as well as access to a 90m running track and a gym. |
| The new offices will boasts £5,500 sleeping pods described as the “world’s first chair designed for napping in a workplace.”While communal areas will feature £17,000 sofas from Swiss company Vitra. | The new offices will boasts £5,500 sleeping pods described as the “world’s first chair designed for napping in a workplace.”While communal areas will feature £17,000 sofas from Swiss company Vitra. |
| Google is also offering staff the opportunity to enrol in cookery classes from Dan Batten, who used to work with Jamie Oliver. | Google is also offering staff the opportunity to enrol in cookery classes from Dan Batten, who used to work with Jamie Oliver. |
| One room has been dubbed Platform 9 ¾ after the platform when young wizards board the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter franchise, according to reports. | One room has been dubbed Platform 9 ¾ after the platform when young wizards board the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter franchise, according to reports. |
| Outside the building, Google wants to create a Hollywood Boulevard-style “Walk of Fame” featuring 17 stars honouring YouTube celebrities with a significant number of followers, according to Camden council’s planning documents seen by the Evening Standard. | Outside the building, Google wants to create a Hollywood Boulevard-style “Walk of Fame” featuring 17 stars honouring YouTube celebrities with a significant number of followers, according to Camden council’s planning documents seen by the Evening Standard. |
| Simon Alford of architects AHMM said the idea behind the building was to pursue an inventive and responsive architecture. | Simon Alford of architects AHMM said the idea behind the building was to pursue an inventive and responsive architecture. |
| “The core focus has been to create a highly adaptable workplace that can respond quickly to the requirements of an ever-changing technology company,” Alford said. | “The core focus has been to create a highly adaptable workplace that can respond quickly to the requirements of an ever-changing technology company,” Alford said. |
| The office has been built with sustainability in mind. | The office has been built with sustainability in mind. |
| A carbon consultant was hired to bring down the carbon footprint, resulting in an overall saving of 2,100 tonnes of CO2 emission. | A carbon consultant was hired to bring down the carbon footprint, resulting in an overall saving of 2,100 tonnes of CO2 emission. |
| That’s enough carbon to power 900 return flights from London to Hong Kong, according to Google. | That’s enough carbon to power 900 return flights from London to Hong Kong, according to Google. |
| The building at 6 Pancras Square was bought by Axa Real Estate last year from BNP Parisbas Real Estate. | The building at 6 Pancras Square was bought by Axa Real Estate last year from BNP Parisbas Real Estate. |
| Construction is still ongoing at new buildings near the site. The project is due for completion in 2017. | Construction is still ongoing at new buildings near the site. The project is due for completion in 2017. |
| Google has three other offices in London despite its tax status. It is registered as having no permanent UK base. | Google has three other offices in London despite its tax status. It is registered as having no permanent UK base. |
| In January, Google agreed to pay back 3 per cent in tax or £130 million to the UK tax authorities in a deal slammed by MEPs as “not fair competition” even as the Chancellor George Osborne heralded the deal as a “major success”. | In January, Google agreed to pay back 3 per cent in tax or £130 million to the UK tax authorities in a deal slammed by MEPs as “not fair competition” even as the Chancellor George Osborne heralded the deal as a “major success”. |
| According to analysis by the Independent, Google could owe the UK six times more than it has agreed to pay, or £800 million. | According to analysis by the Independent, Google could owe the UK six times more than it has agreed to pay, or £800 million. |