The Google Barge Defined: What Occurred To Google's Offshore Showrooms

Sadly, the Google Barge was not lengthy for this earth. Only one yr after they have been unveiled, the town of Portland revealed that their metropolis’s model of the brand new middle was offered and divided between its total construction and its particular person containers. Whereas the construction can be offered to what the Press Herald describes as an “worldwide barging firm,” the containers can be torn down and scrapped for components.

The unusual factor about these barges was that they have been by no means truly put to make use of. In line with The Wall Avenue Journal, not one of the 4 barges that have been constructed formally opened on account of potential structural risks. The USA Coast Guard issued a security inquiry into the constructions and located an irregular division of gasoline throughout the constructions.

“These vessels could have over 5,000 gallons of gasoline on the primary deck and a considerable quantity of flamable materials on board,” wrote the Coast Guard.

In layperson’s phrases, they feared that even a minor malfunction may lead to a large fireplace. Not a lot else is thought concerning the back-and-forth between the Coast Guard and Google, however there have been seemingly makes an attempt to achieve a structural compromise, based on Consumerist. Nonetheless, they merely weren’t possible, forcing Google to cancel the challenge only one yr after its mysterious reveal. That being mentioned, even when the construction was deemed protected, it merely sounded too unique of an thought to successfully market. At the very least we’ve got Google Shops now.