14 DAY TRIAL // The other day, Google finally admitted that the barges being built in a few places around the US do, in fact, belong to it. There was no point denying it anymore, since it was pretty clear by that point that Google was the owner.
But the company is doing one better than just admitting it owns the barges. It also provided some details on their purpose and some renderings of what they will look like when completed.
And from the looks of it, they'll be quite the spectacle. The metal spikes atop of the floating buildings, which many said could be antennas, will actually serve as anchoring points for several fin-like sails which won't have any practical use but will look quite interesting.
The sails will be “reminiscent of fish fins, which will remind visitors that they are on a seaworthy vessel,” the barge's creators wrote in documents submitted to the Port of San Francisco authorities and uncovered by SFGate.
The barges will be holding a structure made up of recycled shipping containers. Also according to the documents, the space inside the floating building will have multiple purposes such as “studio” and “temporary technology exhibit space.”
The idea is to get people visiting the waterfront more often, and Google even plans to make the space available to local organizations for community events.
“We envisioned this space with community in mind,” By and Large, the company that Google set up to administer the barges, says. “A surprising environment that is accessible to all and inspires conversation about how everything is connected — shorebirds, me, you, the sea, the fog and much more.”
The barge won't stay in one spot, as this is why Google built a floating structure in the first place. It will visit locations around the San Francisco Bay, staying for one month in each, and eventually other places on the West Coast. Google is building four of these barges.
