Inside Google’s $2.1B Office in a Transformed Freight Terminal | WSJ Open Office

Summary

Google's St. John's Terminal office in New York, a repurposed 1934 rail terminal, showcases a flexible and changeable workspace designed for Google's global business organization. The one-million-square-foot space features large floor plates, high ceilings, and abundant natural light, with a focus on modularity to adapt to evolving business needs. The office includes shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and a full-service restaurant, all aimed at fostering productivity and innovation.

Takeaways

• 🏢 Google's St. John's Terminal office is a repurposed 100-year-old rail terminal, showcasing Google's vision for a flexible and adaptable workplace.
• 💼 The office is designed to cater to Google's global business organization, housing business professionals rather than engineers.
• 🛠️ The building's original railbeds have been transformed into modern workspaces, with the Google logo now sitting where trains once ran.
• 🌿 The office features extensive biophilic design elements, including 1.5 acres of native plants on terraces, to connect employees with nature and promote productivity.
• 🏙️ The workspace is part of Google's growing campus on Manhattan's West Side, reflecting an integration with the local neighborhood and New York's character.
• 💡 The building's design prioritizes natural light and large, flexible floor plates to accommodate the evolving needs of Google's business.
• 🏗️ CookFox Architects added nine floors to the existing rail terminal, creating a 'groundscraper' that is longer than it is tall, with 12 stories.
• ☕ The office includes a full-service restaurant called Share for Googlers and their clients, offering a more relaxed and comfortable meeting environment.
• 🔄 A custom demountable room system developed by Google's R&D team allows teams to adjust room sizes and configurations to suit their work dynamics.
• 🌐 The St. John's Terminal office is Google's second-largest operational footprint after Silicon Valley, signifying the company's commitment to New York City.

Q & A

How old is Google's newest office, St. John's Terminal?

St. John's Terminal is almost 100 years old, as it was built in 1934.

What was the original purpose of St. John's Terminal before Google acquired it?

St. John's Terminal was originally built as a freight train terminal where trains from upstate would bring food and provisions.

How much did Google pay for the St. John's Terminal building?

Google paid $2.1 billion for the building.

What architectural feature of St. John's Terminal was removed to improve the neighborhood?

Google removed a portion of the building that spanned over West Houston Street to create a connection between the neighborhood and the waterfront.

How many floors were added by CookFox to transform the rail terminal into a workspace?

CookFox added nine floors on top of the existing rail terminal.

What is unique about the size of the floors in St. John's Terminal?

The floors in St. John's Terminal are unique because they are larger than the hall inside Grand Central Terminal, with each floor being over 100,000 square feet.

Who primarily works at Google's St. John's Terminal office?

The office was built around the needs of Google's global business organization, which consists mainly of business professionals, not engineers.

What is the concept behind the furniture selection in the St. John's Terminal office?

The furniture was selected to encourage a more comfortable and relaxed posture for business interactions.

What is 'Share' in the context of Google's St. John's Terminal office?

Share is a full-service restaurant built for Googlers and their clients within the St. John's Terminal office.

How does the office design at St. John's Terminal support the idea of a flexible workplace?

The office design supports a flexible workplace by allowing teams to configure their 'neighborhoods' with a mix of fixed desks and informal workspaces, and by developing a custom demountable room system for meeting rooms.

What is the significance of the shared workspaces at St. John's Terminal?

Shared workspaces at St. John's Terminal, which include work lounges, cafes, terraces, and micro kitchens, are designed to cater to the varying needs and preferences of how people want to work best throughout their day.

How does St. John's Terminal incorporate biophilic design and a connection to nature?

St. John's Terminal incorporates biophilic design by having about 1.5 acres of native plants on terraces and using garage doors that open to connect employees indoors and outdoors with nothing separating them.