News first broke about Google’s permanent expansion in Manhattan in 2021. Now, three years later, the $2.1 billion office at St. John’s Terminal will finally open its doors to thousands of Googlers on Monday, February 26, 2024.
The North American headquarters honors the historical rail terminal grounds its built upon by keeping the 1930s exposed rail beds on the northern facade. Yet, since this is Google, of course the space had to incorporate other innovative designs that reach for the future. According to Google, “This building represents our latest thinking about how we can best work together with our clients, partners and each other.”
One innovative design concept of the office includes a shared neighborhood seating model. This means that no employee has an assigned desk, but rather an assigned area to work. Each dedicated area space will have numerous desks, phone booths, meeting rooms and communal tables.
And as interesting as shared neighborhood seating sounds, those who have seen the movie The Internship surely are curious about the more quirkier aspects of Google’s new Manhattan office. Keeping in mind actual feedback from real life Googlers, the new office will offer a variety of communal spaces to evoke various environments that provide an out of office feel. From cafes, to work lounges, terraces to micro-kitchens, employees will be able to feel like they’re working from an adorable cafe or in a beautiful outdoor garden, rather than within their office space.
In all New York Google offices, the company has continued to prioritize adapting historic locations (Pier 57 and Chelsea Market). The choice of St. John’s Terminal is no different, saving around 78,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide by using an existing structure instead of building a new structural foundation.
Employees will be able to enjoy 1.5 acres of vegetation across the office’s rail bed gardens, terraces and street level. The expansive green space provided at St. John’s Terminal even provides a home for 40 species of birds. Further sustainable efforts include the use of rainwater retention, solar panels and reclaimed wood from the Coney Island boardwalk following Hurricane Sandy.
Learn more about the new Google office here.