A Victorian gasoline holder has been converted into a park with a circular lawn and a polished steel pavilion as element of the ongoing redevelopment of King’s Cross, London.

London studio Bell Philips won a competitors to design Gasholder Park in 2009 as element of the wider King’s Cross regeneration.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

The cylindrical frame surrounding the park is recognized as Gasholder No. eight and was initially constructed in the 1850s. The Grade II-listed structure previously held telescopic chambers for storage and formed part of London’s greatest gas performs – Pancras Gasworks – which was decommissioned in 2000.

The architects additional a shiny steel pavilion, which varieties a steady colonnade close to a broad grass region in the centre of the cast-iron frame, forming “a lovely juxtaposition of outdated and new.”

“Gasholder Park combines the industrial heritage of King’s Cross with modern architecture to create a distinctive place,” said studio co-founder Hari Phillips.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

“To layout a new use for this kind of a well-known London landmark was both a challenging obligation and an unmissable possibility,” he additional. “We hope that it will become a a lot-loved public room as King’s Cross continues to emerge as one of London’s most exciting new quarters.”


Related story: Peter Cook pans “terrible” redevelopment of King’s Cross


The 25-metre-tall framework was removed from its former location in St Pancras and restored by Yorkshire firm Shepley Engineers prior to being reconstructed at its new residence beside Regents Canal in 2013.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

The latticed frames of London’s previous gas holders are also referenced in a sculpture by artist Alex Chinneck on the Greenwich Peninsula – an additional spot of key redevelopment in London.

The King’s Cross park is created to provide a “tranquil new green space” in the centre of the new district.

Three more gasoline holders will be restored and rebuilt around the outskirts of the park as part of a housing scheme by Wilkinson Eyre Architects.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

Planting close to the slatted sides of the pavilion was designed by Dan Pearson Studio, the London company accountable for considerably of the landscaping across the King’s Cross redevelopment area.

“The planting offers colour, texture, sensory stimulation and seasonal variation within and past the area,” said Bell Phillips Architects.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

The King’s Cross redevelopment requires converting former railway lands north of King’s Cross and St Pancras stations into a new area of the city with housing, shops, dining establishments and public spaces.

Architect Peter Cook lately attacked the regeneration scheme, describing it as “boring, unbelievable, genuinely dour.” He went on to say he was “embarrassed” by the normal of advancement on the 67-acre-plot during his speak at Planet Architecture Festival 2015 in Singapore.

Gasholder Park by Bell Phillips

The 67-acre-internet site has been masterplanned by Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates, and will have 50 new buildings, 20 streets, ten parks and squares, and 2,000 properties by 2016.

Some of the new developments include the Central Saint Martins campus by Stanton Williams and a proposal for a fresh-water bathing pond by Rotterdam studio Ooze Architects and Slovenian artist Marjetica Potrč.


Venture credits:

Architect/landscape design and style: Bell Phillips Architects
Landscape architects: Townshend Landscape Architects
Planting: Dan Pearson Studio
Consumer: King’s Cross Central Restricted Partnership
Major contractor: Carillion (Canopy and landscape), BAM Nuttal (Gasholder frame refurbishment and re-erection)
Professional sub-contractors: Littlehampton Welding (Stainless steel canopy), Shepleys (Gasholder refurbishment)
Professional consultant: Speirs and Major (Lighting)
Venture manager: Argent
Structural engineer: Arup
Services engineer: Hoare Lea
QS: Gardiner and Theobald
CDM co-ordinator: David Eagle

Gasholder Park by Bell PhillipsWeb site prepare – click for greater picture Gasholder Park by Bell PhillipsProgram detail – click for bigger image Gasholder Park by Bell PhillipsSection – click for greater image


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