Today, I'm going to discuss this very interesting article about Google's newest lease for an office in Los Angeles. This article caught my attention for two reasons, the first being the creative possibilities facing Google for how they will use the hangar, and the other being the history of the hangar itself.
Google is well-known for their fun, perk-laden offices. Just this week, we watched a video documenting some of the amazing things available to Google employees at their headquarters in Silicon Valley, as well as some of the highlights from around the world. That video was several years old, and in the years since, Google has opened several new high-profile offices with similar if not even more impressive perks for employees. Now, with a giant aircraft hangar at their disposal, I can only begin to imagine what the creative minds at Google will be able to come up with in the over 300,000 square feet they are leasing.
The second interesting thing about this hangar is its history. It was originally owned by Howard Hughes' Hughes Aircraft company, and was where the company built the Spruce Goose. The Spruce Goose was a large transportation aircraft made almost entirely out of wood. It had the largest wingspan of any aircraft ever, and is one of the largest aircraft ever made. It only ever made one flight, but was unable to get more than 70 feet off the ground, and was largely considered a failure. The Spruce Goose is a legendary example of Howard Hughes' hubris and landed him in hot water with the Senate over the amount of government funding used to build such a failure. One must appreciate the historical connection between the bold innovation of Hughes across all of his companies and Google in the many aspects of their businesses. I look forward to seeing what Google does with the massive blank canvas that is the Hughes Hangar.
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