Antony Gormley joins fight against ‘destruction’ of historic King’s Cross site

Sir Antony Gormley, the artist who created the Angel of the North, is among King’s Cross residents ­objecting to proposals that could see Coal Drops Yard, a grade II-listed industrial site, divided into streets of shops and “grab-and-go” food retailers.
Gormley and his artist ­partner, Vicken Parsons, who live in the nearby Gasholders building, said in a submission to Camden council in London: “We object to the destruction of the beautiful, unusually shaped, historic space of the yard.” They said that the plan “represents a lack of imagination, a lazy solution in a place that deserves more” and that “we will be left with something that feels sad and broken”.
Coal Drops Yard is a former industrial site which, with its proximity to the railway and canal, was used to receive and send coal around Britain, as well as goods such as grain and potatoes. It was redesigned by architect Thomas Heatherwick, ­opening to the public in 2018. It features Heatherwick’s so-called kissing roofs, but also preserves the history of the yard, which was designed by King’s Cross station architect Lewis Cubitt in the mid-19th century.
New plans propose a pavilion-style building that would divide the coal yard into narrower shopping streets, containing “accessible retail” and a “grab-and-go offer”. Anthea Harries, asset management director at Related Argent, the developer behind Coal Drops Yard, said in a statement: “To remain relevant, we must continue to adapt and diversify the range of shops to serve an evolving community of residents, workers and visitors.”
The King’s Cross area has just been shortlisted for the prestigious Riba Stirling prize, for its transformation from a site of abandoned buildings and nightlife spots to a residential area with 1,700 new homes and five public squares. The Riba awards jury praised the redevelopment’s “principles for a human city” and “sense of belonging” as well as the preservation of open spaces and the fact that “the site’s history (coal drops, gasometers) is celebrated and integrated”.
Residents have said building on the open space of Coal Drops Yard undermines those values. Publisher Martin Rynja, who has lived in the area since 2018, spoke to the Observer on behalf of a number of concerned residents. Rynja said that Coal Drops Yard is now “being used actively” as a community space, hosting weekly dance classes, art installations and charity events. “It’s used very creatively, where there’s always something going on, which seems to suit the ethos of the area and also the ethos that has been picked up in the nomination for the Stirling prize,” he said.
“By preserving not just buildings that were Grade II-listed but the whole story over two centuries, that is partly why people feel connection to the area, because it’s not just new buildings and great architecture, it’s also the architecture of the past.”
Wine critic Jancis Robinson, who moved to the area in 2016, told the Observer: “Why make such a distinctive and historic space look like a duty-free mall? I understand the drive to have more affordable and useful retailers, so why not assign ­existing spaces to them instead of shoehorning in new, rather unattractive ‘pods’?”
Historic England is involved in the preservation of sites of historic ­interest when they are Grade II* or Grade I-listed, but not of Grade II-listed sites such as the Coal Drops Yard buildings. As such, it has not been consulted on the new retail proposition, but a spokesperson said that the King’s Cross redevelopment up until this point “has been a flagship heritage regeneration project. Through a collaborative and carefully balanced process, the historic buildings and character of King’s Cross have not only been protected, but brought back to life and stitched back into the city.”
Related Argent said the proposed changes are in keeping with the heritage of the site and that the proposed pavilion would take up less than a quarter of the length of the yard.
Alongside Gormley and Parsons, many residents have already submitted their opposition to Camden council. Of 17 public responses to the proposals, one is in favour of the changes. Those against cite concerns about the removal of public space, the possibility of the pavilion detracting from Heatherwick’s design, a threat to the preservation of the yard as a heritage site, and disruption from increased noise and delivery vehicles.
The developers, in submissions to Camden council, said: “Broadly, the plans were welcomed by the community”. Harries said: “As part of the planning process, we held a series of consultation events in early summer to collate the views of a wide range of individuals … a majority of the feedback was positive.”
Harries added: “The pavilion is being brought forward following recent feedback from these customers, who say they want to see more accessible brands, grab-and-go food options and an improved customer journey through Coal Drops Yard.”
In their statement to the council, Gormley and Parsons said: “What the applicant has chosen to present as feedback from residents does not fit with what we have heard from local people we have spoken with.”
They added: “There seems to be a complete mis-match between the very special nature of the architecture of the yard and surrounding area and everything that has been achieved to make an outstanding development, where we are very happy and proud to live, and the shortsighted commercial intentions of the Argent team at the moment.”
Rynja urged the King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership and Related Argent to listen to the locals speaking out now.
“The area is no longer the area it was in 2015. It’s now a community,” he said. “The success they’ve had is also now the reason for listening a little bit more carefully to what residents have to say.”