Goods Yard buildings refurbished by David Morley Architects provide new premises for Tom Dixon

The former Fish and Coal buildings on Regent’s Canal to the the north of King’s Cross Station once formed part of Lewis Cubitt’s Goods Yard, and housed clerks who monitored the flow of the two commodities, while the Wharf Road arches below were stables for the Goods Yard’s horses. Now renamed The Coal Office, the buildings have been laid bare and made usable by David Morley Architects. They house Tom Dixon Studio, which has moved along the same canal from Portobello.

The Coal Office viewed from the north-west, showing the elevated park Bagley Walk and the terrace to the future restaurant

On the upper floors are the company’s offices and studios, together with a new restaurant due to open later this year. Its Trade Counter occupies a sequence of rooms at entrance level from Bagley Walk, a new elevated park that runs from Granary Square to Gasholder Park. At a lower level, beneath Bagley Walk, six arches accommodate a Tom Dixon shop. In other arches are the company’s kitchen and dining area, a co-working space and a preparation room for the restaurant.

Furniture shop in one of the stables arches

A fire in 1983 had left the buildings in a derelict state and the concept for their refurbishment has retained their historical character with a light touch to most of the existing fabric. Previously blocked-in windows have been opened up and extended, new shop front glazing installed and a new rooflight and light well inserted in the office space.

An office space, set up for hot desking

The buildings follow the curve of the canal and all meeting rooms overlook the canal towards Camley Street Natural Park, a nature reserve in the urban environment. Walls are exposed brick, sometimes displaying cement repair, and including socket holes where floor joists once fitted. Soffit-mounted services are also left visible, wrapped in their foil-faced insulation.

A Trade Counter room, featuring a herringbone pattern wall surface of charred wood

This raw aesthetic complements the Tom Dixon products – the man began his career as a designer by creating a ton of chairs welded from salvaged metal. The fit-out by Tom Dixon’s own Design Research Studio uses a three different types of flooring. Dinesen timber floors have been laid in three of the shop’s arches, including 15 metre, 450mm wide planks of Douglas Fir that run depth of one arch.

Soft furnishings shop

Sphere8 resin floors made from plant-oil polymer and incorporating ground-up recycled bottles as a filler can be seen in Trade Counter, shop and workshop areas, and Made A Mano lavastone tiles in the Trade Counter. Tom Dixon pendant lights are installed throughout, frequently clustered to form chandeliers.

Lighting shop

Credits