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Monday 19 Apr 2010

NEW KING’S CROSS SQUARE - DESIGN WINNER ANNOUNCED

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The winning architect in an international competition to design what will become one of London’s biggest public squares in front of King’s Cross station has been announced today.

Stanton Williams beat off competition from more than 100 architects and urban designers from around the world, impressing the judging panel with its innovative approach and commitment to a design of high architectural credibility.

At 7000m2, the new public square will be bigger than Leicester Square and will be the final piece in the jigsaw of Network Rail’s £500m redevelopment of King’s Cross station which will see:

• More space created to cope with the millions of people who rely on the station each year
• More natural light allowed into the station making it a brighter, more pleasant place to be
• New shops and better facilities
• Better connections for passengers and a new platform for more services

The redevelopment will not only free up space for the new square but will also bring the 150-year-old Grade-I listed southern station façade back into public view for the first time in more than 30 years.

Jim Cornell, former executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust, headed the panel which chose the winning architect alongside representatives from Network Rail, English Heritage, Design for London and the London Development Agency and Camden and Islington councils.

Alan Stanton, of Stanton Williams Architects, said: “We are very excited to have been selected to work on this project at the heart of the city. This is a unique opportunity to create a new public square as part of one of London’s busiest transport interchanges. The design will address the challenge of integrating the legacy of existing structures on the site to create an environment which functions seamlessly for the public and makes an important contribution to the regeneration of the surrounding area.”

Victoria Pender, Network Rail group director and member of the judging panel, said: “Network Rail’s redevelopment of the station will transform King’s Cross and provide a wonderful gateway to London for everyone who uses the station. Working with Stanton Williams will enable us to draw on the best of British design and help us fulfil the vision we have for better stations delivering great customer service.”

Rachel Stopard, Camden Council director for culture and environment, said: "My congratulations to Stanton Williams. The new square will not only form an integral part of the redevelopment of King's Cross, making it one of the largest public squares in London, but will also contribute to our broader vision of a better public realm along Euston Road at the heart of the borough of Camden."

Stanton Williams is an award-winning practice that works on a wide range of cultural, commercial and residential projects. Their designs show a deep understanding of how people experience and use spaces, creating places of lasting value that respond to their cultural social and physical context. Their urban space projects in London include the new Tower Hill square, Theatre Square and Centre Point Plaza (under construction). They are currently working on major projects in the UK, Germany and France.

Working for Network Rail’s King’s Cross project team, Stanton Williams will deliver this landmark project alongside well-established and world-class architect John McAslan & Partners and contractors Vinci, Kier, Arup and Carillion.

The square must be able to cope with up to 100,000 commuters, visitors and residents every day. Network Rail has set aside £6m for the project which is scheduled for completion in 2013.

In addition to the new public square, Network Rail is also investing £1m working with London Borough of Camden to spend on improvements to the local area, including £750,000 to improve the pedestrian environment along York Way. The whole redevelopment is expected to generate over 400 additional jobs.