Google Explains Those Barges. Finally.

Floating sites will be "interactive space" for fancy gadgets.

  • Share
  • Read Later
Stephen Lam / Reuters

A "mystery" barge, built with four levels of shipping containers, is seen at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California.

After weeks of speculation over what a colossal Google-owned structure in San Francisco Bay could be, the tech giant set the record straight on Wednesday.

“Although it’s still early days and things may change, we’re exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology,” the company said in a brief statement.

Three similar buildings have been spotted across the U.S., including one off the coast of Maine. CNET first linked the four-story structure to Google earlier this month, guessing it might be a floating data center. San Francisco broadcaster KPIX later suggested it could be an invitation-only showroom for Google’s latest luxury products, like Google Glass.

[CNET]