By Jane Wakefield BBC Technology reporter, BBC News website, in Zurich

Dotcom companies were defined by beanbags and pizza but Google, a company that CAMe to prominence after the bubble had burst, has taken that image to a whole new level.

Meeting 'pods' in the style of Swiss chalets and igloos, fireman poles to allow easy access between floors and a slide to ensure that people can get to the cafeteria as quickly as possible are all part of a design of its new European engineering headquarters in Zurich Switzerland.

The building was designed for - and partly by - the 300 engineers who will work there.

The wacky office is both a showcase for Google's unconventional approach to business and a symbol to prove that Google is no longer a US-centric firm.

But as the search giant expands its wings so criticism about its dominance becomes ever louder.

The civil liberties lobby is hot on its heels with questions about what it plans to do with all the data it is collecting while others question its expansion into new areas - with its purchase of advertising outfit DoubleClick causing particular controversy.

Google stresses that it puts users before making money but an 18% drop in its share price at the beginning of the year proved that it wasn't immune to the US economic downturn and some question how long its good intentions can last if profits continue to fall.

Access all areas

It does, without doubt value its staff very highly and engineers are particularly important - over half of the company is made up of them.

They are best served, according to Nelson Mattas, vice president of engineering, by both a creative work environment and a flat, open working structure.

At a press day to launch its new research and development centre, he explained the serious point behind the 'fun office'.

"The lava lamps, free food and games are all part of the Google culture. It is informal and a structure that isn't dictated from the top," he said.

The unconventional design of the office represents what Google hopes is a free flow of information through all parts of the company.

"I was very surprised that on day one of joining Google I had access to every piece of code, design document and confidential information, said Mr Mattas.

A database of all ongoing projects allows engineers to easily locate expertise and a scheme known as 20% time offers engineers the chance to take that amount of time off from their key objectives to "go do something new".

It has proven itself, spawning features such as Google News which was built as a 20% project by an engineer frustrated about the availability of news following the 9/11 attacks.

For Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management at Google, the balance of work and fun is just about right.

"Beyond the good food and cool office it is the case that every conversation that you have here is one of substance," he said.