Plans to create a paved square with trees in front of King’s Cross station have been given the go ahead.
The design, by architects Stanton Williams, will also reveal the Victorian Grade I listed station façade for the first time in 150 years. In place of the current 1970s concourse extension will be a 7,000 square metre open space. The square will be paved with Yorkstone and feature trees, seats and art displays.
Says Ian Fry, Network Rail’s programme director at King’s Cross, ‘The new public square and unveiled Grade I listed Lewis Cubbitt station façade will be the ideal complement to the new concourse, which opens in the spring, and together will help transform King’s Cross station into a world-class public transport hub.’
When completed the square will be used by 140,000 people every day. The square will sit directly above the London Underground ticket hall which limits the features which can be incorporated into the design.
The site also sits above tunnels carrying the River Fleet – London’s largest subterranean river – as well as other utilities and tube lines.
I’m sorry, this is pure pie-in-the sky. There is no money whatsoever in a wide open space like this for the public to use. It will soon get cluttered up with retail ‘opportunities’. THese will create loads of litter but there will be no bins so the area will become very tatty, very soon. Oh, and don’t think of taking any pictures of the art displays, you will soon be assaulted by BTP or a jumped-up NR security guard demanding you hand over your memory card.
Have you been a depressive for long, Noam? If so, please seek help.
I’m all for positive developments, Crossrail, HS2, GW electrification, great stuff. NR are good at engineering, but their management of the passenger environment is appalling. I’ll meet you for a pint/coffee in 2015 and if I’m wrong it’s my round. My glass will be the half-full one.