King's Cross Central
The building is an important component of the mixed use development in the southern part of King’s Cross Central. The design team has collaborated with other Architects with regards to the building’s interface to the master plan and with Landscape Architects regarding the relationship between the building and the public realm.
The practice liaised with local planning officers, successfully gaining full planning permission. The sustainability strategy was an integral part of the concept development from the inception. The building incorporates passive design features, highly efficient building services, and a low carbon energy supply.
The building lies within the King’s Cross Conservation Area alongside the Grade I listed structures of King’s Cross and Saint-Pancras stations, the Grade II listed German Gymnasium and the Stanley Building South. The characters of these surrounding buildings are robust and simple. The curtain wall system is a re-interpretation of the local load bearing masonry with its interwoven metal frames and terracotta infills. The façades are constructed from an elegant steel framework with terracotta piers that create a rich and dynamic contrast to the other glazed areas. The simple and tectonic approach of the articulated framework draws on the language of Victorian industrial architecture.
