Movie night: Kings Cross’ leisure scene gets a new addition
When Thomas Heatherwick released the first image of his concept for Coal Drops Yard at Kings Cross in late 2015, we knew the area was about to get something really special. And with works in the Argent-led central London territory progressing fast since, the landscape around the old warehouses that will become its home have started to take shape.
Occupying a mix of what was previously a neglected complex of storage and industrial buildings parallel to Central St Martins, many of which remained empty for years, the Coal Drops Yard was conceived as the area’s brand new retail hub.
Set to provide a much needed market element to the fast-growing neighbourhood, Heatherwick’s proposal is sensitive to its historical context of low brick buildings and arches, restoring original elements where and when needed. And yet, it doesn’t lack ambition. A set of new roofs appear ‘kissing’ where two parallel rows of brick structures meet, providing the complex with its signature architectural gesture.
The tenants will be a vibrant and carefully selected mix of independent retailers and well known brands, as well as amenities that will make this hub truly come alive, developing organically into an essential part of its quarter. Offerings will include restaurants, bars and cafes, and a new public area, sitting at the project’s heart.
And while Coal Drops Yard won’t be ready for shoppers until 2018, Kings Cross visitors can now get a taste of what spending more leisure time in the area will feel like. Everyman Cinemas, set to open an outpost at the base of Kings Cross' R7 building in 2017, has just opened a pop-up screen on the base of the David Morley-designed Plimsoll Building, right around the corner from the future retail complex’s site. Everyman on the Corner, designed by Fusion DNA, is now open for business.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Kings Cross website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east London
The Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'
Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural car parks to drive into, in the UK and beyond
Architectural car parks form an important part of urban infrastructure but can provide a design statement too; here are some of the finest examples to peruse, in the UK and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural Association's newest show uncovers the architectural legacies of rural China's lost generation
The Architectural Association’s ‘Ripple Ripple Rippling’ is not your typical architecture show, taking an anthropological look at the flux between rural and urban, and bringing a part of China to Bedford Square in London
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published
-
Into the groove: Henriksen House is the UK’s first home extension featuring exposed clay block walls
Architect Michael Henriksen uses textured clay blocks, cork flooring and self-built joinery to transform his family home in St Albans near London
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
This unassuming London house is a radical rethinking of the suburban home
Station Lodge by architect Andrei Saltykov in South West London offers a radical subversion to regional residential architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Join our tour of London Zoo, its modernist architecture and more
London Zoo is a well-established magnet for younger visitors, but there's plenty for the architecture enthusiast to admire too; our tour explores its modernist treasures for guests of all ages
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Load into this reimagined Fortnite cityscape, courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects
A collaboration between Epic Games and ZHA, Re:Imagine London brings the architects’ modular forms into one of the world’s most popular multiplayer games
By Jonathan Bell Published