Google buys £720m office in boost for London

Google is to pump nearly £750m into London, in a major vote of confidence in the capital. The tech giant has snapped up Central St Giles, WC2, as its headquarters for £720m from a joint venture between the Mitsubishi Estate and Legal & General Investment Management. Its move marks a step change in the firm’s commitment to London, and comes as it increases its UK employee headcount from 7,400 to 10,000. The US tech firm currently rents space in the Renzo Piano-designed building, which includes 408,000 sq ft of office space, more than 100 apartments and restaurants and cafés on the ground floor. It comes as Google prepares to move into its new London headquarters near King’s Cross – “the landscraper”. The glass building will stretch 330m. It plans to operate from the two buildings. Ruth Porat, chief financial officer of Google and its parent company, Alphabet, said the purchase of Central Saint Giles reflected the company’s “continued commitment to [the UK’s] growth and success”. She added: “Our focus remains on creating flexible workspaces that foster innovation, creativity and inclusivity.” Discover how much space the top agents are transacting in the London markets >>  To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Image © Jason Hawkes