ABSTRACT
Early in 2006, planning permission was granted to transform 27 hectares of derelict railway lands and warehouses, hitherto a nocturnal backdrop for many unsavoury aspects of city life, into a vibrant quarter known as King's Cross Central boasting a full complement of retail, offices, dining, and performance spaces. At the physical and ideological heart of the scheme sits the new campus of Central Saint Martins, part of the University of the Arts London. Although one of the world's most highly-regarded art and design colleges since its creation in 1989, Central Saint Martins did not have a physical estate to match. In the twenty-first century, the college resolved to consolidate the jumble of buildings spread across central London which housed its activities and it embarked upon a spirited decision to relocate wholesale to become part of King's Cross Central. The development offered unique opportunity: a large site within a future creative and cultural hub, with first-rate national and international transport links.
