A new residential development in London’s King Cross incorporates three Grade II-listed, cast iron gasholder guide frames that were originally constructed in 1867. The three residential buildings are housed within the frames at varying heights as a reference to the movement of the original gasholders, which were dismantled and removed in 2001.
The new development provides 145 apartments, a private gym and spa, a business lounge, and an entertainment suite with a screening room, bar reception area, and private dining room. The apartments are accessed through a central courtyard. Each residential drum has its own atrium and core, which are linked by a series of circular walkways.
Courtesy Wilkinson Eyre.
The apartment units make use of the circular shape of the buildings by placing the living rooms and bedrooms at the perimeter where they can receive the most natural light. The pie-shaped configuration of the grid forms open-plan apartments with expansive views and multiple orientations. The buildings’ cladding is composed of modular vertical panels of steel and glass textured with a veil of shutters that can be opened or closed at the touch of a button.
Courtesy Wilkinson Eyre.
A fourth cylindrical volume forms an open courtyard at the center of the development and green roofs help bring nature to the urban landscape.
The project’s design team consisted of Wilkinson Eyre, Jonathan Tuckey Design, and No 12 Studio.
Courtesy Wilkinson Eyre.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 27, 2023
Number of U.S. adaptive reuse projects jumps to 122,000 from 77,000
The number of adaptive reuse projects in the pipeline grew to a record 122,000 in 2023 from 77,000 registered last year, according to RentCafe’s annual Adaptive Reuse Report. Of the 122,000 apartments currently undergoing conversion, 45,000 are the result of office repurposing, representing 37% of the total, followed by hotels (23% of future projects).
Urban Planning | Jul 26, 2023
America’s first 100% electric city shows the potential of government-industry alignment
Ithaca has turned heads with the start of its latest venture: Fully decarbonize and electrify the city by 2030.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 25, 2023
San Francisco seeks proposals for adaptive reuse of underutilized downtown office buildings
The City of San Francisco released a Request For Interest to identify office building conversions that city officials could help expedite with zoning changes, regulatory measures, and financial incentives.
Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023
Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards
HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023
Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this
Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 19, 2023
Adaptive reuse: 5 benefits of office-to-residential conversions
FitzGerald completed renovations on Millennium on LaSalle, a 14-story building in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Originally built in 1902, the former office building now comprises 211 apartment units and marks LaSalle Street’s first complete office-to-residential conversion.
Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023
One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion
Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.
Multifamily Housing | May 16, 2023
Legislators aim to make office-to-housing conversions easier
Lawmakers around the country are looking for ways to spur conversions of office space to residential use.cSuch projects come with challenges such as inadequate plumbing, not enough exterior-facing windows, and footprints that don’t easily lend themselves to residential use. These conditions raise the cost for developers.
