Project Overview
Reimagining two disused Victorian structures, this project has transformed buildings never designed for public use into a new retail destination and publicly accessible space. The roofs of both structures were in need of significant repair, providing an opportunity to create a unique moment – a 'kissing point' where the two roofs stretch to meet each other, forming a new upper storey and a sheltered double-height space beneath that can host performances. Marrying crafted elements with precision engineering, the design comprehensively yet sensitively restores the buildings and yard to provide a wide range of unit sizes to cater to a changing sector.
Project Commissioner
Kings Cross Central Limited Partnership
Project Creator
Team
Jennifer Chen, Andrew Edwards, Daniel Haigh, Phil Hall-Patch, Steven Howson, Sonila Kadillari, Michael Kloihofer, Nilufer Kocabas, Elli Liverakou, Ivan Linares Quero, Mira Naran, Ian Ng, Thomas Randall-Page, Emmanouil Rentopoulos, Dani Rossello Diez, Angel Tenorio, Takashi Tsurumaki, Pablo Zamorano
Project Brief
Located within the King’s Cross redevelopment, these linear two-storey structures were built in 1850 to receive coal and were later adapted for light industry, storage and nightclubs until they fell into disuse in the late 1990s. The brief was to turn these buildings never designed for public use, into a vibrant retail destination and publicly accessible space.
As the roofs of both structures were in need of significant repair, this provided the opportunity to create a new heart to the site. The gabled roof of each building rises up and stretches towards the other, creating a 'kissing point' that also forms a new upper storey and a sheltered double-height space beneath.
The design intervention was carried out with minimal intrusion and without putting weight or load on to the existing buildings. To create an illusion of the two roofs being pulled away and joined together, 52 pairs of columns are threaded through the existing buildings to support the roof.
Marrying crafted elements with precision engineering, the vast steel trusses clad in 80,000 slates are drawn from exactly the same seam as the original roof was more than 150 years ago.
The project also included a comprehensive yet sensitive restoration of the Victorian structures and cobbled yard to preserve their historic character while adapting them to create an unusual mix of retail spaces. Responding to the changing retail sector, the scheme provides a range of unit sizes, catering to brands of any scale.
Project Innovation/Need
The structures were earmarked for retail in the masterplan for the 67-acre King’s Cross Central site. A key site challenge was found in the wide gap between the two warehouses: 26- and 39-metres apart at their extremities. Our team was brought on board to create two bridges to link the two structures, however – using knowledge gained from designing a shopping mall in Hong Kong – we believed the site required a larger intervention to create a place where people can gather and circulate with ease, and respond to a changing retail market that is increasingly opting for the creation of an ‘experience’. Our proposals challenged the initial brief to create a bolder intervention whilst repairing and reusing the buildings.
The roofs of both structures were in need of significant repair, providing an opportunity to create a new heart to the site. The resultant design extended the inner gabled roofs of the warehouses to link the two viaducts and define the yard, creating 20,000 square feet of additional space on a new upper storey – adding vital intensity to the retail offering as well as creating fluid patterns of circulation across the site.
As the north end of the Grade II-listed Eastern Coal Drop was burnt out in the 1970s, the roof massing was moved to where there was minimal existing fabric. The design intervention was carried out with minimal intrusion and without putting weight or load on to the existing buildings.
Design Challenge
The scheme faced many technical challenges to accommodate the precision engineering required alongside a traditionally constructed Victorian building. To create the illusion of the two roofs being pulled away and joined together, 52 pairs of columns were carefully threaded through the existing buildings on to new foundations to support the roof. Three steel trusses forming tied arches rest upon one another at the buildings’ ‘kissing point’.
From the elevated vantage point, visitors can survey views south to King’s Cross, or north to Cubitt Square. Beneath, the new roof creates a sheltered 20-metre-high space for people to linger in as well as providing a protected area to host concerts or performances. The project also included a comprehensive yet sensitive restoration of the cobbled yard, providing permeability with the surrounding neighbourhood, including new public access route adding a through route for surrounding communities.
The design repairs and retains as much as possible on both structures, treating them holistically, with materiality fusing modern and traditional – combining contemporary steel trusses and structural glass together with Victorian materials such as cast iron and slates (drawn from the same Welsh seam as the original roof) to create a site-specific texture. Alongside retained heritage assets, the studio produced a series of bespoke cast iron lift buttons, providing a design flourish to functional element. Responding to the budget, the original curved glass façade was rearticulated into a zig-zag, using a series of full-height, industry-standard structural glass panes.
Sustainability
Notwithstanding the desire to preserve as much of the historic structure as possible, the project demonstrates a comprehensive approach to sustainability and low-energy design. Developed in collaboration with a heritage specialist and in consultation with Camden Council and Historic England, the design is considered to have maximised the potential for carbon emissions savings. The development is expected to achieve CO2 savings of 25-35% Part 2B 2013 from passive design and energy efficiency and the connection to the KXC DE network. The development is targeting a BREEAM 2014 Refurbishment & Fit-out rating of ‘Very Good’ for the main base building works, and separate ratings for all five anchor units.
Aiming to implement good practice across the scheme’s 60+ units, comprehensive sustainability guidelines on a trade-by-trade basis were developed for tenant fit-out including: materials specification and sourcing, water and energy consumption, waste minimisation, and recycling. A dedicated section for lighting design seeks to tackle what is often the single most energy consuming service for retail units.
A full POE will be carried out on staff and visitors following a year of occupation to gain in-use performance feedback to inform operational processes, using BREEAM Aftercare (Man 05) criteria. The sustainability (energy, water and waste) data for the buildings is being collected and analysed. The information collated will be disseminated to immediate stakeholders and communicated externally via a case study.
Architecture - Commercial - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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