Media centre

Sunday 15 Sep 2013

#KXSQ marks the spot – King’s Cross station celebrates 10 days to go until London’s newest public space opens zaphod

Region & Route:

| Southern

As the countdown to the opening of London’s newest public space draws ever closer, the people who designed and built King’s Cross Square gathered at the site this weekend to create a giant visual memento visible from the air.

Sunday 15 September marked 10 days to go until the final stage of the King’s Cross station redevelopment is complete and hovering 500ft above the ground, a Network Rail helicopter captured the team marking the occasion. Project managers and architects stood shoulder to shoulder with pavers and demolition staff, with other props and materials including pieces of high visibility clothing laid out to spell out ‘#KXSQ’ - the Twitter hashtag Network Rail is using to share updates and information about the project.

Tom Fernley, a project assistant at Network Rail, started his career on the project and is now celebrating his seventh year. He said: “The redevelopment of Kings Cross has been a landmark project not only for London but for Network Rail and these celebrations have been a great way to extend thanks to the people that have made it all possible. We have managed to mark this moment in history by creating an impressive memento to savour for years to come.”

From the 26 September, the new 75,000 sq ft Kings Cross Square will provide passengers and visitors to the area with stunning views of the original station façade for the first time in more than 150 years. It will also provide new improved entrances to London Underground and, following strong responses from the public consultation, an area has been dedicated to public art and the number of trees has doubled.

The redevelopment of the King’s Cross station area has been a catalyst for one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe, with 67 acres of brownfield land being redeveloped to create eight million sq ft of offices, retail and housing. In 2011, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design moved into renovated railway buildings to the north of the station and new offices for Camden council are currently under construction.

Every day 150,000 people – 28 million a year – travel through King’s Cross station with millions more using St Pancras International and London Underground’s King’s Cross St Pancras.

Notes to editors

Comments from King’s Cross re-development partners:

Murphy CEO John Stack said, “Murphy is very proud to be playing a key role in the regeneration of King’s Cross Station and the local area with this fantastic new public space. The project has overcome many challenges, and collaboration and innovation have been central to its successful delivery.”

Alan Stanton, director of Stanton Williams, said, “As architects, we were delighted to work on King’s Cross Square and to develop a response to one of the most exciting urban challenges in the city. The design of this unique new public space takes into account all complexities of the site, from its function as arrivals concourse for the station, to the structures of the London Underground system below, to create a welcoming orientation and meeting space as the final step to the regeneration of this landmark station."

John McAslan, Chairman of John McAslan + Partners, added, ”We are very proud of our role as lead architects and master-planners of the King's Cross redevelopment. This project has been a complex, extraordinary and collaborative effort that has delivered an internationally significant transport interchange, fit for the 21st century and beyond.”

Mike Byrne, Director, Arup commented, “As engineers, we are proud of the role we have played in the expansive regeneration of King’s Cross Station and the surrounding areas. Collaborating closely with all the project partners we have achieved yet another significant milestone in the sympathetic restoration of this historic station.”

London Underground: King’s Cross St Pancras Tube station is one of the oldest and busiest stations on the Tube network. Out of 11 lines on the Tube network, six serve the station. In 2000 redevelopment works began to increase capacity at the station this included rebuilding the existing ticket hall, building two additional ticket halls and making the station step free. Works were completed in 2010.