Google is building a London headquarters worth $1.2 billion next to current HQ

By Christian de Looper November 15, 2016

Ken Wolter /123rf

It looks like Google is going to expand its operations a little. The company confirmed its plans to build a new headquarters in London that will set it back $1.2 billion and will create 3,000 jobs in the country. Many see the move as a vote of confidence in England following the Brexit vote. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, however, says that while the company certainly has its reservations about Brexit, it would still go on with the project that would house 7,000 staff members.

The new project will involve building a new headquarters right next to Google’s current London HQ at King’s Cross railway station. Previously, it was unknown if the project would go on considering the fact that there was some debate about its design.

“Here in the U.K., it’s clear to me that computer science has a great future with the talent, educational institutions, and passion for innovation we see all around us,” Pichai said in a speech on Tuesday, according to a report from The Guardian. “We are committed to the U.K. and excited to continue our investment in our new King’s Cross campus.”

While Pichai says the company will go ahead with its plans, it has warned against the U.K. government’s crackdown on immigration, saying that the laws run counter to Google’s mission.

The new building will sit next to the King’s Cross station. Google will continue to use its current building, which has room for 2,500 staff and construction on another building began earlier in 2016, which Google will lease rather than own. The new Google headquarters, however, will be owned and designed by Google — the company’s first building to be self-owned and designed outside of the U.S.

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