🟩 GreenBricks Building of the Week 🟩 One Pancras Square

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

• BAM Construction

✍️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

• AKT II

• 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/