Lendlease beat shortlisted bid rival Sir Robert McAlpine to the shell and core project, which is expected to cost around £350m to deliver.

The Google HQ building, designed by Heatherwick Studios and BIG, in collaboration with BDP, will be home to 4,000 Googlers on completion. 

Joe Borrett, Google’s EMEA Director of  Real Estate and Construction, said: “Lendlease emerged from a rigorous selection process as the best choice as our construction partner at King’s Cross because we felt it shared many of our own values – a desire to challenge industry norms, a focus on innovation, and a highly collaborative approach.”

Google HQ site at King’s Cross Goods Yard

Neil Martin, Manging Director of Lendlease’s Construction business in Europe, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be appointed by Google on this landmark project. With our global construction experience, we are confident this will be as distinctive as everything else Google does.”

The win is a coup for Lendlease, which is stepping up the proportion of work it delivers outside of the Lendlease property development portfolio.

Lendlease is also tipped to take a prestige 43-storey hotel and apartment skyscraper in London’s Square Mile at 150 Bishopsgate being developed by Singaporean investor UOL Group.