‘Seeing change is a powerful thing’: King’s Cross 10 years on

Walking through Argent’s mammoth redevelopment of King’s Cross, it is hard to imagine an area that was once thought of as central London’s seediest haunt. At the turn of the millennium, vast tracts of the district lay derelict, while an eclectic nightlife was the only selling point for a region otherwise characterised by crime, drugs and the sex trade. Now, it is widely regarded as a case study for successful regeneration. The 67-acre estate provides around 2.7m sq ft of office, retail and leisure space, thousands of homes and some of London’s most generous public spaces. Last week, London mayor Sadiq Khan called it “a prime example of just the kind of innovation that will help encourage Londoners and domestic and international tourists back into the centre of our city”. But it has not always been an easy ride. As the developer celebrates the 10th anniversary of its official opening, EG explores how King’s Cross went from one of London’s most infamous districts to what it is today. Founding principles It all began with the publication of a 2001 document entitled Principles for a Human City. Co-authored by Argent’s development team, it functioned as a blueprint for how King’s Cross should eventually look, featuring ideas around maintaining heritage buildings, improving public realm, and balancing commercial and residential elements of the scheme. Robert Evans, joint managing partner at Argent and chief executive of the King’s Cross development, says the booklet and subsequent work on the project masterplan were driving factors behind the area’s success. “The big, early strategic decisions about where to create a fix and where to leave flexibility for the scheme to emerge are something which big projects often struggle with,” he says. “With King’s Cross, I think we got it right, and that has been a really important factor in why we have ended up with a really good public realm.” [caption id="attachment_1110182" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Looking east across Wharf Road gardens[/caption] That public realm centres on Granary Square, nestled between Regent’s Canal and a collection of bars and restaurants. Featuring 1,080 fountains shooting jets of water into the air, it is half public art, half children’s play area, overlooked by banks of grassy seating areas which, on sunny days, are packed with office workers eating their lunch. In a good year, the square receives more than 10m visits. Building spaces like this early, Evans says, was an important part of persuading people of what King’s Cross could become – a lesson Argent learnt at its previous redevelopment of Brindley Place in central Birmingham in the 1990s. “The area did have a bad reputation,” he says. “There is no doubt that one of the hardest challenges was to change people’s perceptions. “But the best form of marketing was just to bring people up here,” he continues. “We showed them the infrastructure, showed them how the new streets and squares would emerge, showed them inside buildings and spent time with them on site. And, in the end, that was what led to conversations with our most important occupiers. Actually seeing change is a very powerful thing. There is no substitute.” Eclectic mix Those occupiers are led by tech giants: Google and Facebook are soon to open headquarters on the estate, with the former gearing up to move into its massive £1bn waterfront groundscaper building. Meanwhile, Central St Martins, one of the country’s top art schools and part of University of the Arts London, has been based at Argent’s flagship 1 Granary Square building since 2011. The district is also home to two primary schools, a selection of sports and leisure facilities, and retail hubs such as Coal Drops Yard, which contains 100,000 sq ft of shops, bars and restaurants within a pair of reworked Victorian coal buildings. Including as many uses as possible was another principle stemming from Argent’s 2001 booklet, designed to benefit not only commercial occupiers but the local community at large. “The University of the Arts deal was hugely important,” says Evans. “It was our first building, and really set the tone in many ways for what King’s Cross was going to be like in terms of being a world-class place, but not necessarily a corporate environment. It gave the Granary building a real civic life.” However, the residential element of the scheme has also drawn criticism. Argent’s initial agreement with Camden Council in 2006 specified that it would build 750 affordable homes, with 500 available at social rent. Nine years on, Argent and Camden renegotiated that number to 637. [caption id="attachment_1110184" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Looking east from York Way bridge along the Regent’s Canal towards the Coal Office[/caption] Evans says the change was to make the housing provision less dependent on grants, thanks to a so-called “cascade mechanism” that was initially built into the contract, and to safeguard the core affordable housing element. “What we’ve ended up with at King’s Cross is still 40% affordable housing, which is ahead of the mayor’s target of 35%. Show me how many other schemes of this type are delivering that number,” he says. He is also proud of the fact that many of the affordable homes are in the same buildings as more luxurious market products, and are “not just tucked away in the back corner of the scheme”. However, when it emerged that some less well-off residents were provided with different entrances to their more affluent neighbours – dubbed “poor doors” – more controversy followed. Evans describes debates like this as “a helpful prod” for Argent in improving its housing provision on the scheme. “There has been a change for the better in the affordable housing conversation,” he says. “There is now more emphasis, rightly, on looking at the quality of entrances and other elements. “I am happy that our affordable housing provision ultimately stands up against scrutiny, but the change in the zeitgeist will influence all affordable housing to come, including the last phase of King’s Cross. That is a good thing.” Beyond bricks and mortar Despite these missteps – as well as an unfortunate episode in 2019 when Argent tried to install facial recognition technology in its CCTV cameras – Evans is clearly passionate about creating genuine social value from the development, as well as the more obvious economic benefits. This has involved taking a hands-on approach to operating the estate: Argent helps run the local schools, cleans the streets, maintains the public spaces, puts on events, and more. “This is what is most relevant to the people who live, work and spend time here,” says Evans. “It gives the place personality and genuine purpose.” And while he maintains that many people are still “sceptical” of property developers in the UK, Argent’s reputation locally has come on leaps and bounds from when the scheme kicked off. “Back then, we had a Labour council which was incredibly mistrustful. Now, we get a very fair hearing locally. What we have done here genuinely counts for something.” [caption id="attachment_1110183" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Gasholder Park and Gasholders London apartments[/caption] “This is a hugely capable sector. We solve problems that many others couldn’t,” he adds, referring to the regeneration of the vast former gasholders, which now house luxury apartments. The finished product is a monumental feat of metalwork and concrete, carried out by architects at Wilkinson Eyre in partnership with Argent, and underpins the developer’s policy of maintaining the area’s historic elements. “Our challenge is how we use those skills to deliver more at a time when local authorities and government have a huge number of challenges. And, actually, it could be an opportunity for our industry to be more civically relevant, roll up our sleeves and get stuff done,” Evans says. “Because, ultimately, that is how you make a difference to people’s lives.” To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Photos: John Sturrock