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Google Unveils Design For 1 Million Squarefoot London Headquarters (cnn.com)
dryriver quotes a report from CNN: Google has released designs for a new 11-story, 1 million-square-foot headquarters in London near King's Cross railway station, complete with a sprawling, landscaped rooftop garden. The facilities will include a cafe, gym and pool as well as a rooftop track and ground-floor retail spaces, according to the company's application for permission to build. The campus has been designed by an all-star team that includes Thomas Heatherwick, the British designer behind London's 2012 Olympic cauldron, and Danish architect Bjarke Ingels' BIG firm. The two are also collaborating on Google's Mountain View campus in California. The company currently has a smaller headquarters in the area, along with another nearby building. Google had submitted designs for a new headquarters in 2013, but they were later scrapped. If the new application is approved by Camden Council, construction will start next year.
When looking for a job the first thing I consider is where the job is located. If it's located somewhere with high rent and a low standard of living, I immediately discount that job. London is top of the list of places where I wouldn't want to work since I have no desire to live in a small apartment with absurdly high rent. I'd much rather take a lower paid job in a location where I can afford a detached house.
Despite the obvious disadvantages of locating in a high rent area, large companies seem drawn to the most expensive locations. I'm not sure if this is for the prestige or if it's because they believe it attracts more talent, but for me it ends any interest I have in working for that company.
Sure, it's easy to splurge on these luxuries when you play financial double Irish-Dutch sandwich games. How about putting tax money back into society, like everyone else does?
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.
The U.K. Is a dying market. And no longer a tax haven for you euro business. I expect this is dependent on a reversal of brexit. Or rather, an enticement to not leave.