Dramatic renovation of two listed Victorian warehouses, creating a new landmark shopping centre. Eckersley O’Callaghan engineered several glazed features, including a unique sawtooth facade.
RIBA London Award 2019
World Prix Versailles Award 2019 – Shopping Malls
Arch Daily Commercial Building of the Year 2019
World Architecture Festival 2019 – Completed Building Shopping
Every year, more than 200 million people pass through King’s Cross, St Pancras International and Euston stations, making King’s Cross London’s most connected transport hub. Coal Drops Yard has seen the renovation of two Grade II-listed victorian buildings in the area, transforming them into a dynamic new retail destination.
The £100m shopping centre scheme features a ‘kissing’ roof weighing 1,350 tonnes that connects the two existing buildings to create a new upper storey. Eckersley O’Callaghan has engineered a sawtooth glass facade beneath this kissing roof, with the glass rising to seven metres tall at it’s peak. We also designed the supporting steel structure that connects the facade to the roof beams.
The ground floor facade comprises six-metre-tall glazed panels, which were also engineered by us.
Numerous features of the historic arched buildings have been retained, including the Heritage Bay, which is to be turned into public event space. To preserve and highlight the space’s cobbled floor, we have created a feature raised glass floor and it’s supporting steel legs.
Our technical expertise met a key challenge presented to us in engineering the angular facade. Every angle of the sawtooth glazing is different and each required precise measurements and careful considerations to accommodate structural movements, loads and connection detail designs.
