Description:
The redevelopment of the Grade I listed King’s Cross Station was completed in March 2012. Originally constructed in 1852, by the late 1970s the station no longer met the needs of the travelling public. The underlying objective has been to bring back into full use the neglected structure, balancing the celebration of its heritage with the needs of modern operational accommodation, and to secure its future as part of the rejuvenated fabric of the overall station. The redevelopment (involving close collaboration with key partners Network Rail, John McAslan + Partners, Arup, Tata, Vinci, Kier, Osbourne, Carillion and Laing O’Rourke) has integrated the requirements of a 21st-century international transport hub within the Grade 1-listed building’s structure, now equipped to handle the estimated 55 million passengers passing through each year by 2020. The remodelling of the station has improved passenger facilities, rationalised operational activities and increased retail opportunities. The complex redevelopment project has required a series of interventions involving three different areas of architectural specialism: re-use, restoration and new build. The Eastern Range was completed in advance of the main contract to allow for the temporary relocation of station staff.