Google has finally spoken out about its mystery barges, which have intrigued the tech community and the general public over the past few weeks.
Contrary to rumours, the three giant floating facilities, which are located in Portland, Maine and San Francisco, are neither a Google Glass shop, nor a floating data centre.
According to Google, the current plan is to turn them into an interactive technology learning centre.
In a statement to TechCrunch the internet giant said: "Google Barge A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above. Although it's still early days and things may change, we're exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology."
This puts paid to suggestions that it could be a sea-water cooled data centre, similar to the one the company recently revealed in the Bay of Finland, the reports of which were largely fuelled by patents filed in 2009 detailing plans for a "water based data centre".
The supposed confirmed' reports that it was an exclusive Google Glass store seem to be closer to the truth, although quite how the interactive show room will operate, and exactly what technologies it will contain, is not yet clear.
Another revelation regarding the structure comes from planning documents acquired by the San Francisco Chronicle, which include an artist's representation of the finished facility.
According to the outlet, By and Large, the company building the barges which has been strongly linked to Google, recently submitted documents to the Port of San Francisco that describe the facility as an "unprecedented artistic structure".
"We envisioned this space with community in mind. A surprising environment that is accessible to all and inspires conversation about how everything is connected shorebirds, me, you, the sea, the fog and much more," the documents claim.
The structure will also feature sails that are "reminiscent of fish fins, which will remind visitors that they are on a seaworthy vessel."
IT Pro contacted Google for confirmation of both reports, but had not yet received a response at the time of publication.
