Hey there! Google just opened a new place called the “Google Visitor Experience.” It’s like a super fun clubhouse for people of all ages. This awesome place is at Google’s big headquarters in Mountain View, and they want to share some really neat stuff with everyone. Bailey Tomson, the Communication Manager, gave us a sneak peek at what’s new, like the “Huddle,” a shop, and a café. But the most incredible part is the cool art they have. Let’s check it out!
Google Visitor Experience: A Walk and Art Adventure
To start your journey, you’ll park your car near the Shoreline Amphitheater. Then, you take a short walk to the Visitor station. There, friendly staff are ready to show you where to find the store, café, or art. These cool places are inside a big building called the Gradient Canopy.
Once you cross the street, you’ll find a beautiful park with walking paths, a peaceful water feature, and lots of geese. It’s a lovely spot where Google employees can take a break. The first piece of art you’ll see is “Halo” by SOFTlab, which looks like colorful soap bubbles that sparkle in the light. When you sit inside, it’s like a magical light show, a calm place right next to the busy Silicon Valley.
Google Visitor Experience: Exploring Art in the Plaza
After crossing the street, another friendly staff member will guide you to the main plaza. Here, you’ll find a bunch of big outdoor sculptures. Some are right on the plaza, and others are mixed in with plants along the walkways. Each sculpture has a name and a QR code for more info.
One of the sculptures, “Quantum Meditation II” by Julian Voss-Andreae, is of a woman made from stainless steel slabs. Depending on how you look at it, she seems to disappear. Then, you’ll see a playful brown bear covered in 160,000 pennies, which has a message about animals by Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson Art.
Interactive Art and More
“GO” is an interactive sculpture inspired by the world’s oldest board game, made by Hou de Sousa. It talks about the 3.5 billion questions people ask Google every day and has 600 black and white discs, each with a unique question. You could spend hours reading these interesting questions.
The biggest artwork in the plaza is “Orb” by artist Marc Fornes. It’s made of thousands of aluminum pieces joined together by rivets. You can go inside and look at the sky through the open holes, which show the latest technology.
Google Visitor Experience: Eating and Art at the Café
Don’t forget to visit the café, where you can enjoy yummy organic food like salad, soup, and sandwiches. While you eat, check out the big wall painting called “Farm to Table Roundtrip,” by John Patrick Thomas. It shows how food goes from the ground to our dining tables.
The Huddle: A Fun Community Space
Right next to the café, you’ll find The Huddle, a special space where local community groups, nonprofits, small businesses, and artists can have events and show their work. Right now, you can see silk-screened artworks by Miguel Arzabe from Google’s Artist in Residence Program.
The Corporate Store
Google’s store has cool things and art on display. They have prints by Angelica Trimble-Yanu called “Maka Oniye (Breathing Earth),” which show the connection between high-tech stuff like AI and traditional Indigenous beliefs.
Google’s Love for Art
Even though Google has gone through some changes, they still love art. They plan to get more art, from making special pieces to having workshops led by artists who live there.
Don’t Miss It
The Google Visitor Experience is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. It’s a place where art, nature, and people all come together, and you really shouldn’t miss the chance to explore it!
