Near completed, Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, by Heatherwick Studio. Opening to the public on October 2018
11/08/2018.
[LON] UK
metalocus, ANDREA GONZÁLEZ
metalocus, ANDREA GONZÁLEZ
Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, London, designed by Heatherwick Studio, is near to completed and set to open to the public on Friday 26 October 2018.
Interior of the new upper storey at Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio. Photograph by Hufton+Crow
Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio. Rendering by Mir
Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio. Rendering by Fobesmassie
Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio. Rendering by Mir
Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio. Rendering by Fobesmassie
Overview area of Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Overview area of Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Ground Floor Plan. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Mezzanine. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Viaduct Level. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Upper Viaduct Level. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Upper Level. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Roof Plan. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Section. Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Works in progress. Overview area of Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Overview area of Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio.
Long-time residents of King’s Cross, Heatherwick Studio has reinvented two heritage rail buildings from the 1850s as a major new shopping district and public space.
In 2014 the studio was commissioned by King’s Cross Limited Central Partnership to radically rethink the problematic site. The pair of elongated Victorian coal drops was built to receive coal from northern England for distribution around London by barge and cart. But over the years the ornate cast-iron and brick structures had become partially derelict, serving light industry, warehousing and nightclubs before partial abandonment in the 1990s.
In 2014 the studio was commissioned by King’s Cross Limited Central Partnership to radically rethink the problematic site. The pair of elongated Victorian coal drops was built to receive coal from northern England for distribution around London by barge and cart. But over the years the ornate cast-iron and brick structures had become partially derelict, serving light industry, warehousing and nightclubs before partial abandonment in the 1990s.
My studio has been based in King’s Cross for over 17 years, so it’s been an enormous privilege to reinvent such a locally significant site. These extraordinary buildings were first built in 1850 and have lived an unusually rich past, first serving as infrastructure, then warehousing and offices. To most people, they are famous for having hosted nightclubs for over a decade. We believed there was an opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the existing structures rather than destroy them.
As the opening approaches, we’re all looking forward to seeing how Coal Drops Yard can not only serve as an unusual place for shopping and eating but also become a destination in its own right; a special new space that the public can make their own," said Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio
The challenge was to transform the dilapidated buildings and long, angular site into a lively retail precinct where the public could gather and circulate.
The design extends the inner gabled roofs of the warehouses to link the two viaducts and define the yard, as well as creating fluid patterns of circulation. The flowing roofs, supported by an entirely new freestanding structure interlaced within the heritage fabric, rise up and stretch towards each other until they touch. This forms an entirely new floating upper storey, a large covered outdoor space and a central focus for the entire site.
The studio’s design celebrates the specific texture and history of the Victorian industrial buildings while creating 100,000 sqft of new public space, including retail and dining destinations. The 55 units vary in size, accommodating a wide range of established and emerging brands, alongside new restaurants, bars and cafes.
"It has been a great challenge to transform these historic Victorian structures from their former industrial use into a place that is fully publicly accessible for the first time. The integration of the new curved precision engineered elements into the historic context has posed many challenges to the team, necessitating a rigorous and flexible approach to design development and coordination.
We owe a great deal to our collaborators with whom we’ve worked so closely over the last four years. We look forward to celebrating with them as well as the public once Coal Drops Yard opens in October," said Tamsin Green, Project Leader at Heatherwick Studio.
We owe a great deal to our collaborators with whom we’ve worked so closely over the last four years. We look forward to celebrating with them as well as the public once Coal Drops Yard opens in October," said Tamsin Green, Project Leader at Heatherwick Studio.
With entrances at both ends of the site and scattered along Stable Street, the yard will become a new permeable and distinctive public space, contributing to the wider transformation of King’s Cross as a vibrant place to live, work, relax and study.
More information
Architects
Heatherwick Studio. Thomas Heatherwick. Group Leader.- Lisa Finlay. Project Leader.- Tamsin Green
Project team
Jordan Bailiff, Einar Blixhavn, Erich Breuer, Darragh Casey, Jennifer Chen, Dani Rossello Diez, Ben Dudek, Andrew Edwards, Alex Flood, Daniel Haigh, Phil Hall-Patch, Steven Howson, Sonila Kadillari, Michael Kloihofer, Nilufer Kocabas, Ivan Linares Quero, Elli Liverakou, Freddie Lomas, Jose Marquez, Mira Naran, Ian Ng, Hannah Parker, Monika Patel, Luke Plumbley, Jeff Powers, Thomas Randall-Page, Emmanouil Rentopolous, Angel Tenorio, Takashi Tsurumaki, Pablo Zamorano.
Client
King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP)
THOMAS HEATHERWICK
Thomas Heatherwick established in 1994, Heatherwick Studio recognised for its work in architecture, urban infrastructure, sculpture, design and strategic thinking. Today a team of 180, including architects, designers and makers, works from a combined studio and workshop in Kings Cross, London.
At the heart of the studio’s work is a profound commitment to finding innovative design solutions, with a dedication to artistic thinking and the latent potential of materials and craftsmanship. This is achieved through a working methodology of collaborative rational inquiry, undertaken in a spirit of curiosity and experimentation.
In the twenty years of its existence, Heatherwick Studio has worked in many countries, with a wide range of commissioners and in a variety of regulatory environments. Through this experience, the studio has acquired a high level of expertise in the design and realisation of unusual projects, with a particular focus on the large scale.
The studio’s work includes a number of nationally significant projects for the UK, including the award-winning UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the Olympic Cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the New Bus for London.
Thomas is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects; a Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum; and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Royal College of Art, University of Dundee, University of Brighton, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Manchester.
He has won the Prince Philip Designers Prize, and, in 2004, was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2010, Thomas was awarded the RIBA’s Lubetkin Prize and the London Design Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to design.
In 2013 Thomas was awarded a CBE for his services to the design industry.
