Located in the newly constructed Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California, this store is designed to educate the public about Google’s products, product design, and production methods by engaging the curiosity of the user.

The space was inspired by the contrast between the fluid forms of the Northerly estuaries in the adjacent San Francisco Bay and the assemblage of man-made grids within the nearby urban fabric to the South. In the retail space, a sinuous, spine-like sculptural installation winds through the space, providing a 120-foot-long continuous interactive display for Google’s hardware offerings.

The Spine itself is a Cabinet of Curiosities configured with rectangular vitrines that contain products to interact with, drawers to discover, visual graphics and information to observe, and 3D interactive displays to heighten curiosity. With a focus on human physiology and interaction, the spine engages the user at multiple heights and scales. The design accommodates these functions at a variety of datums relative to the human body with the lower zone focused on storage, the mid zone for physical interaction, and the higher zone for visual information with the top sculptural canopy enhancing the form’s fluidity while defining an edicule of occupation for the customer.

A strategic kit of parts was created to realize the concept of the Cabinet of Curiosities. It needed to be invisibly repetitious for economic purposes and provide Google with the ability to seasonally replace displays, both digital and printed. As custom as the entirety of the Spine appears it is actually a constellation of elements repeated six times to realize the full extent of its gesture.

The material palette reinforces an ethos of warmth, approachability, and sensuality. The floor is laid up with locally sourced reclaimed Valley Oakwood. The foreground element, the Spine, is crafted of stained oak wood to provide an organic complement to the products and a sensorily rich user engagement. The perimeter white-washed wood walls and tables provide the background stage for the Spine. A tertiary element, crafted of dark patinated steel, is integrated into the tables and portals, and performs as a crisp accent to the more sensual materials and forms. Surrounding the central spine are several large-scale interactive screens, an open space with flexible seating for lectures and events, a Here-to-Help space, and flexible shelving for grab-and-go products.

This retail space is a small component within the 1.1 million square foot complex. The complex, including this project, has achieved the Living Building Challenge Materials Petal, LEED Platinum, and uses exclusively Red List Free building materials.

With nature as the vehicle, this retail space integrates organic and cellular forms to create a unique environment to inspire the brain and the body. The completed assemblage of elements and spaces invite the user to explore, create, and engage in technology in new processes.