Kings Cross Station London Design, Transport Hub Architecture Pictures, UK Railway Development News
King’s Cross Station London
Concourse Redevelopment, England design by John McAslan + Partners, UK
post updated 11 Jan 2021 ; 12 Jul 2012
New London Awards honours King’s Cross Station and Olympic Masterplan
The King’s Cross Station redevelopment and the Olympic Masterplan share this year’s prestigious NLA ‘Overall Winner’ Award. Both projects were commended for their outstanding contribution to London.
images © Hufton + Crow
King’s Cross Station Concourse Award
NLA Chairman and Chairman of the Awards Jury Peter Murray, announcing the awards, said: “Our jury of overseas experts was impressed by the dramatic new space created by the King’s Cross Station Concourse as well as the painstaking work on the heritage of the Grade1 listed station. This balance between old and new typifies the complexity of development in London.”
images : Hufton + Crow
JMP Chairman John McAslan said: “We are delighted to be sharing this honour with the London Olympics, as well as winning the Transport and Conservation categories. This project has been an extraordinary, collaborative effort with Network Rail as client, Arup as engineers and Vinci as contractors.”
Entries were judged by a panel of international experts in the fields of architecture and urban design including:
– David J Burney, Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction
– Dominique Alba, Director of Apur, Paris
– Monica von Schmalensee, CEO/ VD, partner, White
– Riccardo Marini, City Design Leader of Edinburgh City Council
14 Mar 2012
King’s Cross Station Concourse
JOHN MCASLAN + PARTNERS AT KING’S CROSS
“The transformation of King’s Cross station by John McAslan + Partners (JMP) represents a compelling piece of place-making for London. The show-piece is clearly the Western Concourse – Europe’s largest single span station structure and the heart of the development, but the overall project is far more complex: an extraordinary, collaborative effort that has delivered an internationally significant transport interchange, fit for the 21st century and beyond.
We are very proud of our role as lead architects and master-planners of the King’s Cross redevelopment, and it’s immensely satisfying to see the project delivered on time, ready for the capital’s celebration of the London Olympics later this year.”
John McAslan, Chairman John McAslan + Partners
images : Hufton + Crow
With this multi-phased development now complete, the significance of the King’s Cross Station redevelopment is finally revealed. The transformation of King’s Cross Station for Network Rail involves three very different styles of architecture: re-use, restoration and new build.
The train shed and range buildings have been adapted and re-used, the station’s previously obscured Grade I listed façade is being precisely restored, and a new, highly expressive Western Concourse has been designed as a centrepiece and the ‘beating heart’ of the project. When the station opens to the public on 19 March 2012, King’s Cross will become a new, iconic architectural gateway to the city, ready for the 2012 London Olympics. Our design re-orientates the station to the west, creating significant operational improvements and will reveal the main south façade of Lewis Cubitt’s original 1852 station.
Although the Western Concourse is probably the most visually striking change to the station, JMP’s work on the project also involves a series of layered interventions and restorations including the restoration of the Eastern Range building and the revitalisation of the Main Train Shed, Suburban Train Shed and Western Range buildings.
Our practice began work on the project in 1998 and established the overall master-plan for the development in 2005. As a result we have played a key role in the wider transformation of the King’s Cross area – infrastructural, social and commercial changes that now connect the station with the massive King’s Cross Central scheme north of the station as well as to St Pancras, the London Underground, and the surrounding urban context. The architectural ambition of JMP’s scheme has been to create a new iconic landmark that will function as a key catalyst for the ongoing regeneration of this new London quarter as well as providing striking new facilities that will accommodate the 50 million passengers now passing through the station each year.
WESTERN CONCOURSE
images from JMP
The centrepiece of the £500m redevelopment is the new vaulted, semi-circular concourse to the west of the existing station. The concourse rises some 20m and spans the full 150m-length of the existing Grade I Listed Western Range, creating a new entrance to the station through the south end of the structure and at mezzanine level to the northern end of the Western Concourse.
The 7,500sqm concourse has become Europe’s largest single-span station structure, comprising of 16 steel tree form columns that radiate from an expressive, tapered central funnel. The graceful circularity of the concourse echoes the form of the neighbouring Great Northern Hotel, with the ground floor of the hotel providing access to the concourse.
The Western Concourse sits adjacent to the façade of the Western Range, clearly revealing the restored brickwork and masonry of the original station. From this dramatic interior space, passengers access the platforms either through the ground level gate-lines in the Ticket Hall via the Western Range building, or by using the mezzanine level gate-line, which leads onto the new cross–platform footbridge.
Located above the new London Underground northern ticketing hall, and with retail elements at mezzanine level, the concourse will transform passenger facilities, whilst also enhancing links to the London Underground, and bus, taxi and train connections at St Pancras. The concourse is set to become an architectural gateway to the King’s Cross Central mixed-use developments, a key approach to the eastern entrance of St Pancras International. It will also act as an extension to King’s Cross Square, a new plaza that will be formed between the station’s southern façade and Euston Road.
images : Hufton + Crow
WESTERN RANGE
The Western Range at King’s Cross is the historic station’s biggest component, accommodating a wide range of uses. Complex in plan, and articulated in five buildings, the practice’s considered architectural intervention has delivered greatly improved working conditions for the station staff, train-operating companies and Network Rail management teams. The Northern Wing, destroyed by bombing in World War II, has been rebuilt to its original design. The reinstatement of the Western Range also delivers key gated connections, including a new gate-line at the southern end, now the main point of connection between the Western Concourse and the platforms of the Main Train Shed.
MAIN TRAIN SHED
The station’s Main Train Shed is 250m long, 22m high and 65m wide, spanning eight platforms. The restoration includes revealing the bold architecture of the original south façade, re-glazing the north and south gables and refurbishing platforms The two barrel-vaulted roofs are currently being refurbished and lined with energy-saving photo-voltaic arrays along the linear roof lanterns, while a new glass footbridge designed by JMP extends across the Main Train Shed, replacing the old mid-shed Handyside bridge and giving access to every platform as well as the mezzanine level of the concourse.
JMP’s design integrates the main and suburban train sheds for the first time, creating a completely coherent ground-plan for passenger movements into and through the station. Improvements to the Suburban Train Shed located to the north of the Western Concourse and Western Range buildings have enhanced the operation of its three platforms (the busiest in the station during peak-hours).
The ambitious transformation of the station creates a remarkable dialogue between Cubitt’s original station and 21st-century architecture – a quantum shift in strategic infrastructure design in the UK. This relationship between old and new creates a modern transport super-hub at King’s Cross, whilst revitalising and unveiling one of the great railway monuments of Britain.
13 Mar 2012
Kings Cross Station Redevelopment
The station concourse is currently due to open to the public from start of service on Monday 19 March.
New King’s Cross concourse, images / information from Network Rail:
image : John McAslan + Partners
With more trains and better connections, King’s Cross station is set to become a world class transport hub. The new concourse, waiting areas and shopping experience will be ready in time for the 2012 Olympics. The second and final phase of the project ends in late 2013. This will see the existing green canopy stripped away, a new public square opened and the original Victorian structure revealed for the first time in living memory.
This complicated redevelopment has involved constructing a 1,700 tonne steel and glass dome over the top of a London Underground ticket hall, and renovating a Grade 1 listed building to the highest possible standard. All this has gone on while the normal work of the station continues.
photos : Network Rail
Ready for London 2012
When London won the Olympic Games in 2005, work on the redevelopment of King’s Cross was already underway. We re-drew our timelines to ensure the new concourse would be ready to greet spectators en route to London 2012 and we’re on target to do just that.
English Heritage
The original Grade 1 listed station building is being lovingly restored in partnership with English Heritage.
Transforming the local environment
King’s Cross station is at the heart of one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe. Network Rail is just one of many groups contributing to the exciting transformation of the King’s Cross area.
Kings Cross Station Redevelopment – News Update Nov 2007
Kings Cross Station Renewal
New King’s Cross concourse, images/info from Network Rail:
images : John McAslan + Partners
Kings Cross Station Redevelopment – News Update Nov 2007
Network Rail today confirmed a multi-million pound package of local community benefits as part of the £400m transformation of King’s Cross station.
Following the receipt of planning consent in April 2007, Network Rail has worked with Camden Borough Council to agree a number of schemes as part of the wider development, which will deliver specific benefits for the surrounding area.
Kings Cross Station – Photographs © Adrian Welch Sep 2010:
photos © Adrian Welch, Sep 2010
The 50 million passengers who will use the station each year will benefit from an entirely restored, lighter and more attractive station.
Improvements include:
– A new 5,000 sq metre concourse – over twice the size of the existing one with new shops and restaurants- providing new integrated transport links with international and domestic services from St Pancras, as well as London Underground
– A restored Grade 1 listed façade of the station which will be achieved by demolishing the ‘temporary’ current single-storey front to the station. The train shed and platforms will be refurbished and the roof replaced
– An additional platform, increasing reliability and capacity at the station
– A new open piazza in front of the station, larger than Leicester Square
Kings Cross Station, Euston Road: interior + exterior from south
photos © Adrian Welch, Jun 2007
Kings Cross Concourse : Article from Wrightstyle – 4 Apr 2012
image from Wrightstyle
King’s Cross Station Eastern Range
Kings Cross area Redevelopment, north London
2006-
Allies & Morrison + Porphyrios Associates + various architects
Argent development
King’s Cross Square Competition
2007
for developer Argent & Network Rail
major central London space with links to McAslan + Partners project
long overdue overhaul required for poor quality space and forms hiding the original King’s Cross Station frontage – simple concept of two glazed arches
Location: King’s Cross Station, London, England, UK
London Buildings
Contemporary London Building Designs
London Architecture Links – chronological list
London Architecture Tours by e-architect
King’s Cross Gasholder Competition
2009
image : John Sturrock
King’s Cross Central Competition
King’s Cross Building Photos
photos © Adrian Welch
T1 Building, King’s Cross
2008-
Niall McLaughlin Architects
London Railway Station : London Bridge
King’s Cross – first 3No. residential plots
York Way
2008-10
Shortlist of 8 unveiled Nov 2007:
Burrell Foley Fischer; DRMM; Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios; Maccreanor Lavington; Munkenbeck & Marshall; O’Mahoney Pike; Panter Hudspith; PRP
Kings Cross Development:
King’s Cross – Central St Martin’s College of Art & Design building – proposal
2007-
Stanton Willliams
New London Architecture King’s Cross Design Competition
New London Architecture King’s Cross Design Competition
King’s Place – proposal, King’s Cross
2007-
Dixon Jones
Kings Cross Station building photographs taken with Panasonic DMC-FX01 lumix camera; Leica lense: 2816×2112 pixels – original photos available upon request: info(at)e-architect.com
King’s Cross Square : Competition Shortlist
Comments / photos for the Kings Cross Station London page welcome
