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Google has completed the restoration of Hangar One, a massive airship hangar located in Mountain View, California, and a landmark of Silicon Valley. The project, undertaken by Google, marks a significant milestone in the preservation of a historic structure and its integration into the company’s presence in the region.

Originally built in 1931 for the U.S. Navy, Hangar One was used to house airships, including the USS Macon and USS Akron. Its distinctive silver skin, made of aluminum, covered a steel framework capable of sheltering massive aircraft. After decades of service, the Navy decommissioned the hangar in 1994, and it fell into disrepair, with much of its original skin peeling off due to environmental factors and the presence of lead-based paint.

Google took on the lease of the property in 2015 and subsequently committed to restoring the structure. The restoration involved removing the hazardous materials, repairing the steel framework, and re-skinning the hangar with a novel, environmentally friendly material. The project faced numerous challenges, including environmental regulations and the sheer scale of the structure, which is one of the world’s largest freestanding structures.

The completed restoration maintains the hangar’s iconic shape while incorporating modern materials, and technologies. Google has not yet announced specific plans for the use of the restored Hangar One, but This proves expected to serve as a visible symbol of the company’s commitment to the area. The project also included significant improvements to the surrounding landscape and infrastructure.

Alongside the Hangar One restoration, Google has also achieved a milestone in energy management, reaching 1 gigawatt (GW) of demand response capacity across its data centers. This achievement allows Google to reduce its energy consumption during peak demand periods, contributing to grid stability and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The company utilizes its data centers’ flexible workloads to respond to grid signals, effectively acting as a virtual power plant.

Recent reports also indicate that Google users may be unknowingly consuming significant amounts of storage space due to hidden files. While not directly related to the Hangar One project or energy initiatives, this highlights the company’s ongoing management of its vast digital infrastructure and user data.