Bell Phillips Architects completes a cast iron-clad pavilion at London’s Kings Cross
Taking inspiration from the nineteenth-century railway infrastructure of London’s Kings Cross, a new cast-iron-clad pavilion designed by Bell Phillips Architects completes the south-western corner of Granary Square, the public plaza at the heart of Argent’s King’s Cross Central development, which is also flanked by the Central St Martins art school and the Coal Drops Yard retail complex, both created from Victorian industrial buildings.
The single-storey structure incorporates a 105-square-metre cafe, public toilets and a lift that improves access between the square and Lower Stable Street. “The spaces within the pavilion have been arranged so that secondary functions such as the toilets and plant are positioned within the depth of the plan, allowing greater activity along its peripheries”, says the architect. “The cafe’s visible presence along the length of the southern facade creates a highly animated facade adjacent to the historic ramp, while providing a visual connection to the urban plaza. The lift provides a visual termination to the south-western corner of Granary Square”..
In a nod to the history of King’s Cross, the cast iron façade (fabricated by FSE Foundry) is designed using an abstracted pattern derived from the molecular arrangement of coal. It also functions as a balustrade to the edge of Granary Square above. The pattern is also applied to the lift shaft, which is illuminated at night.
Bell Phillips worked closely with the landscape architect, Townshend, which designed the urban realm surrounding the pavilion. The roof of the pavilion flows into the south-west corner of Granary Square. The design strategy developed by Townshend therefore seeks to integrate with the existing development; its timber benches have been designed to fit with those already in place in Granary Square, while hard landscaping and new planting create a seamless threshold between the two areas.
“The new pavilion has been designed to be a discreet and sensitive, yet delightful addition to the King’s Cross area”, says Hari Phillips, director at Bell Phillips Architects. “It provides valuable public facilities and strengthens the ties between Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard.”
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