Google barges

The Google barges were a group of four floating barges built between 2010 and 2012, intended by Google to serve as "an interactive space where people can learn about new technology",^[1][2] possibly as luxury showrooms for Google Glass and other products on an invitation-only basis.^[3] Google halted work on the barges in late 2013 and began selling off the barges in 2014.^[4][5]

Two of the barges (one San Francisco barge and the former Portland barge) have or had a superstructure consisting of four stories of modern shipping containers welded together. Most of these containers have small slits that may serve as windows. Each superstructure had a container that slants down to ground level at a shallow angle. CBS sources claimed that the first three floors were intended to serve as a showroom, while the upper floor was designated as a party deck.^[3] The San Francisco structure had poles at the top that may be antennas, and was described as eventually being decorated with gigantic sails, and being moved among sites in the San Francisco Bay Area as a "temporary technology exhibit space" to "drive visitation to the waterfront".^[6]

Google may have built the structures on barges to avoid mandatory city building permits and public plans that may disclose their purpose.^[7] Ultimately, however, the time and cost of meeting federal maritime safety regulations may have prompted Google to abandon the project.^[5]