Installations on corporate campuses are often more than just eye candy. They’re a preview of the company’s ethos, a physical expression of how they think and create. So it’s no surprise that Google’s latest architectural addition doesn’t just stand out – it computes. The Orb designed by Marc Fornes, founder of art and architecture studio THEVERYMANY, is a jaw-dropping pavilion that lives on the tech giant’s Charleston East Campus. With its swirling, code-born structure and shimmering, spaceship-like exterior, The Orb looks like something generated by an algorithm, and that’s because it is.

A large, intricate white metal sculpture stands in front of a modern building with a sloped glass roof, surrounded by trees and landscaped greenery under a partly cloudy sky

Set against a backdrop of tree-lined paths and native landscaping, The Orb rises like an artifact from another world – yet feels perfectly at home alongside Google’s modern campus. Measuring 10 meters tall and 26 meters wide, it makes a striking first impression. Despite being constructed from aluminum just 3mm thick, the structure is entirely self-supporting – a feat made possible through advanced computational design and Fornes’ longtime fascination with using algorithms and code to generate form.

Abstract white sculptural structure with curved, perforated surfaces and large openings, set against a partly cloudy blue sky

A large, abstract white sculpture with swirling shapes stands outdoors near modern buildings and landscaped greenery under a clear blue sky

A large white abstract sculpture stands in an outdoor plaza as people walk and ride bicycles nearby under a clear blue sky

From afar, it resembles a futuristic seedpod or celestial vessel; up close, its perforated skin creates a shifting experience that changes with the weather. Part sculpture, part shelter, The Orb invites curious passersby to pause, step inside, and explore.

A man walks through a large, white, abstract metal sculpture with curved, perforated surfaces on a sunny day

A person stands inside a large, perforated white sculptural structure with circular openings, taking a photo on a sunny day

On sunny days, daylight filters through the aluminum skin, casting dappled shadows across the ground while the canopy above evokes a starry night. Come evening, the installation glows with ground-level spotlights, turning its surface into a mesmerizing play of light and shadow that amplifies its sculptural presence.

A person stands on a walkway in front of a large, intricate sculpture made of perforated metal loops and curves

A modern building with a wavy roof stands behind a large white abstract sculpture and landscaping at dusk

Large abstract metallic spherical sculpture with curved cutouts, illuminated at night, situated on a circular platform in an outdoor plaza

Though its fluid form suggests it was forged from a single sheet of metal, The Orb is actually composed of 6,441 individual aluminum pieces held together by more than 217,000 rivets – a fact that underscores the sculpture’s dual identity as both architecture and art. “For architects, we’re too much of an artist; for artists, too much of an architect,” says Fornes. That in-between sensibility is exactly what makes The Orb so compelling: it defies easy categorization, blending structure, sculpture, and spatial experience into something entirely new. It’s a fitting symbol of innovation – one that mirrors Google’s own ethos of pushing boundaries through design and technology.

Modern architectural building with a wavy roof in the background, landscaped courtyard, and a large abstract white sculpture at the center; two people walk nearby.

Aerial view of a large, white, abstract sculpture with swirling shapes on a paved plaza, surrounded by curved wooden benches

A person walks on a patterned pavement next to a large, curved, perforated metal sculpture viewed from above

A person and a child stand inside a large, white, perforated sculptural structure with curving, organic shapes, viewed from above

Aerial view of a large, abstract white metal sculpture with curved shapes in a landscaped plaza with trees and benches

A person poses for a photo while sitting on a curved, white perforated architectural sculpture outdoors on a sunny day

Two people sit near a large, white, abstract geometric sculpture surrounded by trees on a sunny day

People walk and ride a bicycle through a large, white, perforated sculptural structure outdoors on a sunny day

A person stands beneath a large, white, perforated abstract sculpture outdoors, looking up and reaching towards it

A large, white, sculptural pavilion with smooth, curving surfaces and circular openings, set outdoors with trees and sky visible through the structure

A close-up of a large, white, abstract outdoor sculpture with curved forms and perforated surfaces against a blue sky with scattered clouds

Large abstract white metal sculpture with swirling, perforated shapes stands outdoors in front of a modern building with glass and metal roof panels, under a partly cloudy sky

For more information on The Orb, visit theverymany.com.

Photography by Younes Bounhar of Doublespace Photography.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

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