Heatherwick Studio has transformed two heritage rail buildings from the 1850s in King’s Cross into a brand new shopping district and public space. The site earlier served as a place to receive coal from northern England for distribution across London. Later some of the Victorian cast-iron and brick structures were taken over by warehouses and nightclubs before partial abandonment in 1990s. The architects were given a challenging task to transform the long, angular site with derelict buildings into a lively retail and public zone.“The studio’s design celebrates the specific texture and history of the Victorian industrial buildings,” stated Heatherwick Studio. “The 100,000 square feet of new public space features retail and dining destinations, which will be housing established and emerging brands across its 55 units along with restaurants, bars, and cafes. Entrances on both ends of the site as well as on the Stable Street, make the yard easily permeable. 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.”Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, said: “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,” he added.http://www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin
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