“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
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.