Palazzo green
Gateway to King’s Cross Central development, One Pancras Square has cultivated simplicity and symmetry. With strong tectonic horizontal and vertical elements, it appears economical yet expressive. A workplace with a lot of the palazzo about it.
📍Location
King’s Cross, London
🏢Building Details
Completed 2014 – 55,120 sq. ft. over 8 floors
Island office building, with shops, cafes, and Underground entrance at street level
Design aesthetic determined by 396 cast-iron clad columns, reflecting borough’s strong industrial heritage
Winner of 2015 BREEAM Award + 2016 Civic Trust Award: Special Award for Sustainability
👷🏾♀️Contractor
✍️Architects & Engineers
Mattias Kunz – Director at David Chipperfield Architects
Andrew Knight – Business Manager at Hargreaves Foundry
James White – Co-Founder & Director at March and White Design
Elliot March – Co-Founder at March and White Design
Mark O’Dea – Director at Techrete
Grontmij Group, now part of Sweco
🌱Sustainability
BREEAM Outstanding (89%)
Building linked to the street-wide district heating network – provides 100% of heating and hot water needs
Active chilled beams + opening windows mean it can be ventilated mechanically or naturally
Brownfield redevelopment – site of former gasworks
Passive design techniques utilised, including exposed concrete floor slabs and optimised glazing to solid ratios
🥦 Wellbeing
Balconies supported by freestanding columns provide 590 sq. ft. external terrace space per floor
External structure = ratio of 40% solid to 60% glass – providing ample natural light
A pair of central cores provides the main structure resulting in column-free office space: offering maximum flexibility + accessibility for tenants
Part of the wider King’s Cross regeneration project – providing integrated transport, connectivity, amenity, and streets designed for people
🎈Bonus feature
The 396 cast-iron columns are made from recycled car brake discs. They also feature a detailed woven pattern. This is a nod to German architect, Gottfried Semper’s theory that weaving (producing patterns and textiles) was the ‘original man-made art’ – from which all architecture and buildings evolved.
🔗 Check it out https://www.akt-uk.com/projects/one-pancras-square/
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