Revealed: Google's plan for vast new London HQ with pool, running trail and five-a-side pitch

Workers at Google’s vast new London HQ will enjoy an unprecedented range of “play” facilities including a half Olympic sized swimming pool, a 200 metre roof top running trail and a covered sports hall for five-a-side football matches, latest plans reveal.

The Silicon Valley giant lodged its updated vision for its £1 billion Kings Cross campus with Camden council yesterday after scrapping a previous set of proposals.

Around 4,500 “Googlers” will work at the 870,000 sq ft building - the first that Google has designed for itself outside America - when it is completed.

The documents show that the huge “groundscraper” of seven to 11 storeys will have facilities that would not be out of place in a five star hotel to “ensure the health and wellbeing of staff and foster the innovation and creativity that defines the organisation.”

Google's New £1 Billion King's Cross HQ - In pictures

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These include an extraordinary 300 metre long landscaped roof terrace with areas described as “the fields”, and the “gardens.”

It includes the “trim trail” for runners and walkers with tranquil “pause areas” surrounded by meadow and woodland plants. There is also a rooftop cafe.

The 25 metre swimming pool forms part of a “wellness and fitness centre” which also includes a gym, exercise studio and a 32 metre long indoor “multi-use games area” for sports such as basketball, five a side football or badminton.

An artist's impression of the sports hall

The building - designed by Garden Bridge architect Thomas Heatherwick and and the Danish Bjarke Ingels Group - will also have shops at ground level and an events centre which can be used for product launches and industry events.

When combined with the current building at 6 Pancras Square and an additional third property, the Google campus will the potential to house 7,000 employees.

The HQ has a rooftop garden and cafe
Hayes Davidson

Joe Borrett, director of real estate and construction, said: “We are excited to be able to bring our London Googlers together in one campus, with a new purpose-built building that we’ve developed from the ground up.

"Our offices and facilities play a key part in shaping the Google culture, which is one of the reasons we are known for being amongst the best places to work in the industry.”

Mr Heatherwick said: “As my home and the home of my studio for more than 15 years, I have a close relationship with King’s Cross.

An artist's impression of the rooftop running track at the Google HQ

"The area is a fascinating collision of diverse building types and spaces and I can’t help but love this mix of massive railway stations, roads, canals and other infrastructure all layered up into the most connected point in London.”

The proposals come just over six months after the firm confirmed it was committed to the London headquarters- a move that was seen as a vote of confidence in Britain’s prospect after it leaves the bloc.

It is also another major coup for property company Argent, which led the regeneration of Kings Cross.

Details of the building emerged as Google said its London operation is spearheading the fight against fake news across Europe with the company’s trainers going into newsrooms to teach journalists how to use its tools to verify if photos and video are genuine.

Matt Cooke, head of Google News Lab, said lessons learnt from how best to debunk false stories and claims on social media during the US and French elections were being put into effect during the UK general election.

He said: “We’ve trained around 35,000 journalists over the past two-and-a-half years and we’re expanding the reach of our services.

"Journalists know how to fact check and verify. Our tools just help them save time.”

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