Google recently announced that it would purchase the Central Saint Giles – an office building that many Googlers have been working in – for $1 billion. The office is located in London’s thriving West End, and more than 6,400 employees are currently working there.
While Omicron made many companies, including Wall Street giants, take a step back and call their employees to return to work from home, it’s not the case for Google. For many, remote work is the future and the present, but Google keeps encouraging an office-centered culture.
Google’s Latest Purchase: $1 Billion Office Building
Surprisingly, this $1 billion office building in London isn’t the only purchase Google made during the pandemic. Last year, it spent $2.1 billion on a Manhattan office building. And while they supported remote work as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of COVID, the company is looking forward to having all their employees working from the office.
Google has had offices in the UK for almost 20 years. With more than 6,400 employees in London, the company decided to purchase the Central Saint Giles for $1 billion. As they mentioned in the announcement:
Based in London’s thriving West End, our investment in this striking Renzo Piano-designed development represents our continued confidence in the office as a place for in-person collaboration and connection. Across all our UK sites, Google will have capacity for 10,000 employees as we continue to commit to the UK’s growth and success.
The office will have different collaboration spaces like team pods to support focused and collaborative work based on the various team needs. It will also have outdoor covered areas to enable working in the fresh air.
