In a past blog we wrote about our plans for a brand new three storey mixed retail and office building in King’s Cross. We submitted the proposal to the London Borough of Camden, hoping their planning committee would grant permission. These hopes were successful because on February 22nd approval was granted for this exciting piece of commercial architecture.

The planning committee’s view

The planning committee had some very nice things to say about the design. Most noteworthy they remarked that it was “a well-resolved and thought-through proposal”. We put effort in to create a design that will celebrate the heritage of the area. The appreciation is fantastic.

The development is worth circa £15million. Work on the site will get underway later in the year. The plan is for it to be finished in 2020 ready for businesses to take on the offices and retail space. In total there will be 3,962 square metres of offices and an additional 350 square metres of flexible space for offices, assembly, leisure, or even a cafe.

Appreciating professional opinion

The architect’s view of the project on an article on Architects Journal is also wonderful. It remarks on how successfully the design deals with the tricky setting. The biggest obstacle was the presence of gasworks tunnels beneath the site. These limited the height of the building and ensured that weight was an important factor.

We came up with creative solutions, limiting the height but creating a skewed pitched roof to celebrate the elevation. A perforated aluminium facade boosts the aesthetics without adding a great deal of weight.

The Coffey Architects team is really excited to see the project get underway this summer. We are also very pleased that it is a part of the larger regeneration of King’s Cross, including the new £6million sports centre on a neighbouring site. Both buildings will complement each other.

If you would like to learn more about other pieces of commercial architecture we have created you can do so on our website. We are also happy to provide advice if you need our help; simply get in touch.