Google Leases 100,000 Square Feet In Historic Venice Beach Buildings

Google is leasing 100,00 square feet in an architecturally significant complex of buildings (by Frank Gehry) in Venice California. Venice is near Santa Monica and home of the famed beach boardwalk, body builders, patchouli oil-wearing street vendors and a quasi-bohemian scene left over from the glory days of the 1970s. According to the LA Times:

Google representatives confirmed Tuesday night that the company had signed a lease for the properties, saying its employees would begin moving into the offices this year. Google’s new complex of buildings will have more square footage than its current facilities in Santa Monica, where the largest of the three buildings has 45,000 square feet and houses 300 employees.

The move is part of Google’s ambitious expansion plan this year. Late last year the company purchased a building in New York spanning an entire city block. Yesterday Google said that it would hire 6,000 more people in 2011.

Chiat/Day Building via Flickr

The building’s prime location and proximity to the beach should prove to be a recruiting perk. Cue the surf music: search’s up!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sWII-0JCUQ[/youtube]