Kings Cross

See London's finest contemporary architecture and explore Central London's largest regeneration zone, blending 50 new structures with 30 restored historical buildings, featuring works by over 35 leading British and International architects.

Kings Cross is one of the finest showcases of contemporary architecture in London; now 95% complete there is plenty to see. On this Walking Tour we will discuss the architecture and masterplanning of the area.

Discover the ideas behind this new mixed-use district, which has transformed an enormous swathe of post-industrial railway land behind two stunning 19th-century landmark railway stations in Central London.

Set on a 27-hectare landscape of former railway sidings and warehouses, the £3 billion mega project has created a major new office, residential and educational zone anchored around the landmark Central St Martins (CSM) campus within the listed historic Granary building. 

It is part of a growing knowledge-based campus with names like Google, Deepmind, Meta, Universal Music, Havas, XTC Markets, Louis Vuitton and Tom Dixon all flocking here to set up their London bases.

Masterplanned by Porphyrios Associates and Allies and Morrison, the foresighted developer Argent have precured many of Britain’s leading architects including Eric Parry, Niall McLaughlin, BIG, Wilmotte Associates, David Chipperfield Architects, dRMM and Mossessian Architecture to design stunning one off buildings which work in harmony with 10.5 hectares of high quality landscape by Townsend Landscape Architects set across 10 new parks and squares.

Key schemes which will be discussed along the route include John McAslan + Partners’ upgrade of King’s Cross Station, Stanton Williams’ new home for CSM, Wilkinson Eyre’s Gasholders housing, Bell Phillips’ competition-winning Gasholder Park, the new Google London HQ by BIG & Heatherwick Studio, and the Aga Khan’s new academic building by Fumihiko Maki.

Length of Tour: 2.5 hours