In the coming year, visitors will be able to see art installations at St Pancras International; or visit the Pangolin sculpture gallery in Kings Place.
Soon, the 67 acre development at King’s Cross will come to life. One of the first major occupiers on site, University of the Arts London will bring the spirit of art and design to the heart of King’s Cross. This and many other champions of art are set to create a new cultural quarter in central London.
The drawing is the work of world renowned illustrator, Quentin Blake. The piece was commissioned by Argent, London and Continental Railways and DHL-Exel Supply Chain, the developers of King’s Cross. It is the first of many public art initiatives intended for the scheme.
One of Britain’s best-loved illustrators, Quentin Blake has illustrated over 300 books, but never a building. He has worked with many writers, most famously of all, Roald Dahl. Quentin
Quentin Blake is one of the driving forces behind the idea to bring the UK’s first Museum of Illustration to King’s Cross. This Museum will celebrate historical and contemporary illustration as well as Quentin’s own work.
The installation is mounted on the Grade II listed Stanley Building, one of sixteen Victorian structures on site. New development will embrace this heritage to create a new piece of city with a historic sense of place. The Stanley Building will be refurbished for new uses in due course.
Look out for more pieces that will be added to this gallery as they come up in King’s Cross.
St Pancras International is going to be a place to meet whether you are getting on a train or not. ‘The Meeting Place’ depicts a couple in a ‘Brief Encounter’ moment. The sculpture is the first of a series of public artwork installations that form a programme of art for the High Speed 1 project throughout 2007.
Ellie trained at the Slade School of Fine Art just across the road from King’s Cross and specialises in fabricating works from materials sourced on site. She hopes to create pieces which respond to the dramatically changing area, taking materials left over from the work around the construction site and building her sculptures across the development.
Ellie was selected following a competitive pitch and the judging panel included Gill Henderson, Director of Create KX, Kate Squires, Head of Education for Camden Art Centre and representatives from Arts Council England and Argent.
Anna Strongman, Development Manager at Argent said: “The news of Ellie’s appointment is another step closer to the creation of a real artists’ quarter here at King’s Cross. With the Guardian soon to move nearby, University of the Arts London moving into The Granary and discussions ongoing with the Museum of Illustration, it’s easy to see why this was a hard fought placement. We are all very much looking forward to working with Ellie and seeing her work.”
Consisting of 150 000 glass spheres, suspended on almost one million metres of fine stainless steel wire, the sculpture glows with a constantly shifting rainbow of colours.
The form of the sculpture derives from the twisted shape of a drop of molten metal, which cooled and solidified as it fell through tumbling water. The aim was to produce a curvaceous form that would look different from each of the building's nine floors.
Thomas Heatherwick's work ranges from creating discrete objects, such as the 'B of the Bang' in Manchester, to designing cityscapes and the interface between them. He collaborates with practitioners from a wide range of disciplines, and together they harness architecture, art and design, to offer a different creative approach to art and design in the built environment.
To honour his contribution, Martin Jennings was commissioned by London and Continental Railways to create a statue of Sir John Betjeman for the newly refurbished concourse at St Pancras International.