Google has offices in over 70 locations across 50 countries, and in Taiwan, they have offices in Taipei, Banqiao, and Zhubei.

This time, I was invited by Mr. T, a Google Taiwan employee whom I met through a friend, to visit the Taipei and Banqiao offices. We had meals at the company restaurant and toured around various areas.
I'd like to share what Google's offices were like.

The photos on this page have been published with permission. Thank you to Mr. T for readily granting permission!

Google Taipei 101 Office

Taipei 101, arguably Taiwan's most iconic landmark, is, as the name suggests, an enormous building with 101 floors above ground. When it was completed in 2004, it was the world's tallest skyscraper.

While 101 is clearly visible from afar, when you get close, you feel overwhelmed by its towering height.

Upon entering the lobby, you're greeted by an impressive interior featuring marble.
You can really feel the dignity befitting Taiwan's symbolic landmark.

Since Google is located around the 70th floor, we first need to complete the procedures for entering the office floors.

First, Issuing an Entry Pass

To enter the office area, we first need to issue a visitor pass.
This can be done using a touch-panel machine in the lobby.

We went as a group of several people, and Mr. T quickly issued passes for everyone.

Here's the issued card.

The card features Taipei 101's symbol and logo.

On the back, it states "If you lose this card, there will be a reissue fee of NT$500 (approximately ¥2,300)." Since it would be troublesome to lose it, let's keep it safe.

We tap this at the lobby gate to access the office floors. Here we go.

Taking Multiple Elevators to Reach the Office

First, we take an elevator to the transfer floor, then switch to the high-floor elevator.
The walls and floors inside are mostly made of marble, giving it the same luxurious feel as the lobby.

The building is like a maze, and after getting lost along the way (Mr. T mentioned he doesn't usually come here), we finally arrived at Google's office!

We needed an entry pass to enter the office, so they issued one for us. It says "Guest."
In the bottom left, it says "Social," which seems to indicate the relationship with the host (Mr. T). If it were family, it would probably say "Family."

To avoid looking suspicious, this must be attached to your clothing.

However, this is just a piece of paper without any authentication features, so you need an employee card to open doors. This means you must always move with your host.
Security guards are always on duty, so security is solid.

And here's the reception area right after entering the office.

Reception Area

It was an impressive interior with a clean feel. Perhaps because it was the New Year, the decorations were quite festive!

Since I had a camera, the security guard beside me explained the photography rules in English. Photography is only allowed in public spaces, and taking photos of confidential matters or employees' faces is prohibited.

In the back, there's a display space for Google Pixel and Pixel Watch, making it feel like a small store.

Google Device Display Space

The display space showcased not only Google Pixel phones but also Pixel Watch and Buds Pro 2.

They had spec introductions, so I tried reading them.
I could somewhat understand that the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the first earbuds equipped with a Tensor chip and have IP54 water resistance.

Looking at it this way, they have quite a lot of products.
While it feels like a small store, I don't think you can actually buy anything here.

Kitchen Space

An important space for boosting productivity - the kitchen. But this isn't just any ordinary kitchen.

For example, all the drinks in this refrigerator are free to consume.

There are bottled teas, fruit juices, black coffee, and the pitcher contains Earl Grey tea.
For some reason, even we guests received a bottle of tea each.

It's not just drinks - there are also jelly-like items and cherry tomatoes. (Looks healthy!)

These drawers are all filled with snacks.

I heard that the lineup of items changes periodically.
They even prevent monotony...

On the shelves, there are kiwis, oranges, and bananas. Ah, it must be paradise for those who want healthy snacks.

Restaurant

On the restaurant floor, you can eat meals for free.
It's buffet-style, so you can freely take what you want.

The visual quality is high.
There's quite a variety, so you can choose only what you like.

It seems good for both health and wallet.
Though not shown in the photos, there were also dumplings and soup.

There was also a New Year celebration cake.

It says Google, so it's an original cake!
The size reminds me of those large Costco cakes.

Then we all enjoyed our meal.

Mr. C, a former employee who came with us, said the taste was so-so.
I think the quality is high for a company cafeteria. It would be difficult to compare it with popular restaurant flavors.

Since we went during lunchtime, there were quite a few people, but with so many seats available, there's no worry about not finding a place to sit.

From the restaurant windows, you can see Taipei City Hall and Taipei Sky Tower. It's the heart of Taiwan.

Actually, the windows weren't that clean, making it a somewhat mediocre photo spot.
I worked hard on editing this photo to make it look nice.

Conclusion

Being able to see the inside of Google, something that's usually both familiar yet distant, was a great experience.

Somehow, I felt like just being there made me smarter. (What a silly thought!)
Although we only stayed for a few hours, experiencing the high-level benefits, secure working environment, and perfectly clean offices made me think, "This is truly the 'G' in 'GAFAM.'"

See you in the next post about the Banqiao office!