Heatherwick Studio Completes Renovation Of Coal Drops Yard In London

Heatherwick Studio has completed the renovation and transformation of Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross in central London, which is now open to the public the get a new taste of shopping.

The studio has restored and transformed a pair of long Victorian warehouses with attached train viaducts to create a new public space and retail destination.

Originally built in 1850 to receive coal for London as it arrived by rails from the north of England, the two-story brick and cast iron structures were later adapted for light industry, storage and nightclubs until they fell into disuse by the late 1990s.

Heatherwick Studio's aim was to open this area to the public., linking the long viaducts and the yard between them to create a space for people to enjoy.

Coal Drops Yard is the first major renovation project of Heatherwick Studio and one of several large-scale projects in central London that the studio is currently workin on. The studio is also working on Google's first UK Headquarters, in collaboration with BIG, and the transformation of London’s Olympia into a world-class venue.

Commissioned in 2014, the aim of the project was to revive these unused buildings in an angular site as a new public space and circulation area.

The studio has carefully worked on the existing materials and the main structure to keep the identity of the area. Rather than making a box element colliding with the geometry of the existing roofs, the gables roof of each building rises up and stretches towards the other, meeting to form a new upper storey that gives the project a central focus.

"This glazed space provides an unexpected elevated viewpoint over London, while the sheltered double-height space beneath creates a heart to the development that can also host concerts and performances," added the studio.

At the same time as creating the new elements to the project, the studio lead a sensitive restoration of the Victorian structures and cobbled yard to preserve their historic character while adapting them to create an unusual mix of retail and cafe spaces.

In the end, Heatherwick Studio created a dynamic new public space for London designed for known companies, emerging brands newly graduated students from the adjacent Central Saint Martin's Art School.

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