Field Paoli

Thomas Heatherwick’s Kissing Roofs at the Kings Cross Coal Drops Yard

Thomas Heatherwick is the latest high profile designer to apply his creative skills to designing a retail destination. Daniel Liebeskind gave us the Crystals Mall at City Center Las Vegas, Santiago Calatrava designed the Oculus at the World Trade Center, Renzo Piano just completed City Center Bishop Ranch here in the Bay Area, and now Heatherwick’s Coal Drops Yard in London is open to the public following the $120 million refurbishment of a derelict train yard. Part of the Kings Cross Redevelopment Area, an eight million square foot mixed-use neighborhood featuring a series of high-design residential and office buildings, Coal Drops Yard includes a 100,000 square foot mix of home grown and high-end retail, although arguably the architecture is the main attraction.

Thomas Heatherwick first rose to prominence through his extraordinary design for the Seed Cathedral, Britain’s pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. He gained world-wide exposure with his kinetic Olympic Cauldron, unveiled at the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics. His first US project is the Crucible, currently under construction and designed to become the centerpiece of Related’s massive Hudson Yards Development.

At Coal Drops the placemaking gesture is simple but impactful. Two existing parallel brick industrial buildings define the project’s main retail street. They are joined by the swooping roofs of each building, reaching up to touch each other- the kissing roofs . The architectural move transforms the utilitarian Victorian brick and cast iron industrial architecture, creating a striking but not overpowering “wow” moment.  

The mix of exuberance and restraint and the layering of old and new make for an enduring experience that respects the past while looking to the future. A 20,000 square foot Samsung store will be housed within the kissing roofs, providing a tech counterpoint to the artisanal food and fashion occupying the lower retail space. While most retail projects tend to rely on tried-and-tested forms, this one challenges our expectations without disrupting the straightforward functionality of the layout.

All-in-all a welcome contribution to the retail canon.

The area around Coal Drops Yard has become a bit of a hot spot – for some great suggestions about what to do and see in the area, check out this story from the NY Times.

And if you get a chance to go into the British Library, you’ll be able to see the King’s Library, the first project I worked on after graduate school!