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York House King’s Cross Offices

KX flexible workspace for The Office Group London design by dMFK Architects, England, UK

11 November 2021

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One of the 2021 Brick Award winners

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Location: Pentonville Road, King’s Cross, North London, England

Design: de Metz Forbes Knight Architects (dMFK)

York House Opens in King’s Cross Following Redesign by dMFK

Photos © Jack Hobhouse

York House King’s Cross Workspace

Perforated cladding panels have helped to transform a defunct 1980s structure in the heart of London into a visually striking, contemporary commercial office space.

Once described as unwelcoming and foreboding, York House in King’s Cross, which dates back to 1981, featured a complex brick façade, with a set back entrance and very small windows giving the building a stand-offish appearance as well as a poorly lit interior.

Following a £13 million refurbishment, the building, purchased by The Office Group, which provides flexible workspaces in London, Leeds and Bristol, has been transformed into a bright, co-working space, suitable for London’s thriving and growing businesses.

Designed by Architects dMFK, the 70,000sq. ft, eight storey redevelopment features both modern and traditional elements. An original Torigenus cast aluminium sculpture sits on the east side of the building, created by sculptor Geoffrey Clarke, whilst bold new additions include a double height entrance with offices above, as well as a set back roof extension and terrace on the 7th floor.

Proteus SC Perforated Aluminium cladding panels wrap around a parapet along the new terrace in a bespoke repeated zig zag profile, which blends softly with the sky and complements a brick lattice façade, set on a 45-degree angle. The perforated panels also span various windows on the upper elements of the building.

The Proteus SC cladding system at York House, manufactured from 2mm aluminium sheets, was specified with an Interpon D2525 Anodic Bronze Polyester Powder Coat (PPC) finish to all sides and 40mm perforations in a regular triangular grid.

Each panel, installed by Richardson Roofing, is supported by a recessed aluminium PPC framing system devised by Proteus Facades and coloured to match. The unique fixings discreetly hold the cladding system in place whilst allowing for a thinner perforated skin to be used without resulting in deflection or distortion, helping the façade remain both aesthetically pleasing and within budget requirements.

Furthermore, careful placement of the perforations allows for natural light to pass through new enlarged windows, comfortably illuminating the interior of the once darkened building, with no need for blinds and reducing the level of artificial lighting required. This, alongside the installation of solar panels, premium insulation and double glazing (taking the efficiency rating from G to A), have resulted in the redevelopment achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification.

Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is offered in either solid, perforated or mesh panel formats. By utilising an extensive range of metals, colours, textures and forms it can add another dimension to any façade cladding project. The system can be manufactured between 1mm and 5mm in thickness and an acoustic insulation layer encapsulated within the panel. For internal applications Proteus Facades can provide contrasting fabric inserts when the panels are perforated.

As The Office Group’s 38th workspace to open in the UK, and fourth in Kings Cross, York House has been completely regenerated into a luxurious sought-after building featuring state-of-the-art amenities including a café, gym, library and roof gardens with panoramic views of the city.

Alongside dMFK and Proteus Facades, other businesses involved in the redevelopment scheme, which officially opened at the end of 2019, include QS Quantem, structural engineer Webb Yates and contractor Collins Construction.

For further information about Proteus SC or to view more inspirational rainscreen facades from Proteus Facades, visit: www.proteusfacades.com or call: 0151 545 5075.

York House King’s Cross London Offices – Building Information

Architect: dMFK Architects
Client: The Office Group
QS: Quantem Consulting
Contractor: Collins Construction

Interiors: dMFK Architects
Structural engineer: Webb Yates Engineers
M&E engineer: Environmental Engineering Partnership
Fire engineer: MLM
Landscape architect: Space Hub

Photographs © Jack Hobhouse