Search engine titan Google on February 19 announced the opening of ‘Ananta’, its new campus located in Bengaluru. Ananta is being touted as one of Google’s largest offices globally.
“Today, we are excited to share another major milestone in our ongoing commitment to India, with the inauguration of Ananta — one of Google’s largest offices globally,” Google said in a blog post.
For two decades, Google said it has played a role in facilitating transformation further — through AI-powered flood forecasting, specialised AI models to catch tuberculosis early, and helping millions of people join the formal economy with Google Pay, among others.
Here are five things you need to know about Ananta, Google’s largest office in India.
Ananta’s significance
The new Bengaluru campus’ name, ‘Ananta’ is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘infinite’ or ‘limitless’. “It also signifies the boundless potential we see to improve lives through technology,” Google said in its blog.
Designed to connect
The building is designed to improve views and provides access to natural light. The architecture of Ananta creates an “intimate layout” for teams to come together. The heart of the building features ‘Sabha’, a gathering space for community and conversation.
City grid and neighbourhood
Each floor in Ananta has been designed as a city grid with a network of streets for easy navigation. Individual ‘neighbourhoods’ inside these grids offer chances of collaboration while also supporting the need to focus with smaller nooks and booths.
Peace and accessibility
Ananta comes with extensive landscaping and walking and jogging paths, which are ideal for peaceful breaks and short meetings on the go. The building has been designed with special focus for the visually impaired as well. It features a new tactile flooring that supports navigation for the visually impaired, with accessible amenities and braille details.
Sustainability in every corner
Ananta’s design is equipped with features that reduce its environmental footprint and contribute to the balance of the surrounding ecosystem. The newly-built campus recycles 100% of its wastewater, can harvest gallons of rainwater on-site and also has one of India’s largest smart glass installations to reduce energy consumption. Most of the materials of the building’s interiors are sourced locally