233-243 Road & 172-176 King’s Cross Road

Design and Access Statement

For the London Borough of

April 2016

14019 Document History

Rev Date Purpose of Issue Author Reviewer - 26.02.16 Client Team Comment GH GH A 18.03.16 Client Team Comment GH RB B 01.04.16 Client/ Savills Comment GH GH C 27.04.16 Issued for Planning GH GH Contents

1.0 Introduction 4.0 Area Schedules 1.1 Executive Summary 4.1 Existing Area and Accommodation Schedule 1.2 Design Team 4.2 Proposed Area and Accommodation Schedule

2.0 Site and Context Appraisal 5.0 Access Statement 2.1 Location 5.1 Summary 2.2 Site Description 5.2 Pedestrian Access 2.3 Historical Development of the Site 5.3 Transport Connections 2.4 Prospect, Aspect and Legibility 5.4 Access to and Around the Building 2.5 Protected Viewing Corridor 5.5 Communications and Controls 2.6 Environmental Analysis 2.7 Surrounding Scale, Character and Materials 6.0 Drawings 2.8 Other Constraints 6.1 Existing Drawings 2.9 Planning History 6.2 Demolition Drawings 2.10 Planning Liaison 6.3 Proposed Drawings 2.11 Design Review Panel 6.4 Perspective Views 2.12 Public Consultation 6.5 Verified Views

3.0 Design Analysis Appendix 1 3.1 Initial Research Letter Addresses for Public Consultation 3.2 Initial Design Evolution 3.3 New Design Premises 3.4 Precedents 3.5 Design Objectives 3.6 New Design Evolution 3.7 Scale, Mass and Height 3.8 External Amenity Space 3.9 Sunlight/ Daylight 3.10 Final Proposals

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Executive Summary

9 Squire and Partners has been appointed by Pencross Assets Limited to develop proposals for a mixed use, office and residential scheme of the highest quality. The site, indicated by the red dot on the aerial view on this page, is dual level 1111 fronting Pentonville Road at approximately one storey higher than the King’s Cross Road portion of the building.

1.2 Design Team

Client/ Pencross Assets Limited CDM 4 South Ealing Road 8 Principal Designer London W5 4QA

1 7 Structural Engineer Sinclair Johnston & Partners 93 Great Suffolk Street 2 London SE1 0BX 3 6 Services Engineer Mecserve Limited 16 Hampden Gurney Street London W1H 5AL 4

Planning Consultant Savills 33 Margaret Street London W1G 0JD

5 Transport Consultant TTP Consulting 111-113 Great Portland Street 1100 London W1W 6QQ

Sunlight/ Daylight Right of Light Consulting Consultant First Floor, Holborn Gate Key: 330 High Holborn London WC1V 7QT 1 King’s Cross Station 2 St Pancras International 3 British Library 4 Euston Station 5 Corams Fields 6 Percy Circus 7 Claremont Square 8 Angel Station 9 Bernard Park 10 Mount Pleasant Mail Centre 11 Central St Martin College of Art and Design 2.0 Site and Context Appraisal

2.1 Site Location

2.1.1 The Site is located between Pentonville Road and King’s Cross Road in the London Borough of Islington. It consists of three properties: 233-239 and 241-243 on Pentonville Road and number 172-176 King’s Cross Road. (See Fig. 2.1.5 overleaf)

2.1.2 The site is less than a 5 minute walk from King’s Cross St Pancras Station and a 10 minute walk to Angel Station. No Underground lines run under the site. Initial research has revealed the presence of a water main at very deep level running diagonally across the site at a depth of between 35 and 45 metres below pavement level. The Basement Impact Assessment submitted with this application gives a preliminary account of how our construction method will mitigate any impact to this main.

2.1.3 The immediate neighbourhood contains several shops, pubs, restaurants and hostels as well as offi ce and other commercial Fig 2.1.1 Location Map Fig 2.1.2 Birds Eye View looking North space.

KKING’SING’S CCROSSROSS

Fig 2.1.3 Aerial Site Photograph Fig 2.1.4 Tube lines in the area Fig 2.1.5 Site Map 2.2 Site Description

2.2.1 The site is bounded by two thoroughfares: Pentonville Road to the north and King’s Cross Road to the south, forming a wedge- shaped urban block containing buildings of a variety of scales and architectural styles. All have been developed at different times. The shape of the block was determined by estate layouts from the mid 18th century but no buildings survive from this period. The block also contains modern office buildings fronting Pentonville Road of a scale and architectural character typical of undistinguished 1970s commercial development. Some very recent building refurbishment and contemporary infill has taken place at the western end of the block where Kings Cross Road and Pentonville Road converge.

2.2.2 233-239 Pentonville Road Nos 233-235 and 237-239 were two blocks of low grade tenement dwellings, originally called Gibson House and Fig 2.2.1 233-239 Pentonville Road Fig 2.2.2 View of site from Pentonville Road Gordon House. More recently these buildings have been in use as offi ces. The buildings are currently vacant. Built in the early twentieth century in an Arts and Crafts style, the buildings feature a mix of red and stock bricks and painted plaster. Each building contained eight three-roomed dwellings, arranged over four fl oors above the ground fl oor shops.

2.2.3 241-243 Pentonville Road The building was erected as a shop in 1902, together with the City of Bristol public house next door, by the Forest Hill Brewery Company, It is a plain building, faced in stock brick with red wire-cut brick dressing.

2.2.4 172-176 Kings Cross Road This two-storey building was erected as an offi ce, workshops and stabling in 1899-1900. It has a facade of blue and red engineering brick, with attenuated piers and moulded fl oral and other decoration. The left-hand bay originally had a door giving cart access to the horse ramp up to the fi rst fl oor, replaced with steps and a lift in 1907. The building was refurbished in 1987-90 as offi ces for the most recent occupiers, Community Service Fig 2.2.3 241-243 Pentonville Road Fig 2.2.4 172-176 Kings Cross Road Volunteers who also occupied No. 241. Both buildings fronting Pentonville Road have been unoccupied for almost two years. 2.2.5 The site is also adjacent to a Welsh Congregational Church that dates from the mid 19th century and is statutorily listed at Grade II. The north elevation of the chapel is partly obscured by 241- 243 Pentonville Road. The eastern gable elevation, containing a small rose window with stone tracery, is visible from King’s Cross Road, sitting above the twin gables of No.s 172-176. [See Fig. 2.3.6 overleaf.]

2.2.6 There is a significant level change between Pentonville Road and Kings Cross Road. The greatest difference is at the North- East corner of the site where Pentonville Road is over 4 metres above Kings Cross Road. This level difference reduces by almost 750mm as Pentonville Road falls westwards towards Kings Cross Station.

Fig 2.2.5 Existing interior spaces Fig 2.2.6 Existing courtyard on site

Fig 2.2.7 Existing interior spaces Fig 2.2.8 View of existing courtyard on site 2.3 Historical Development of the Site

2.3.1 Pentonville Road was created as the eastern third of the New Road from . It was opened in 1756 to divert livestock drovers on their way to Smithfield. The road was given its present name in 1857. SITE

2.3.2 Pentonville Road developed as a good-class residential address, St. Pancras

but from the 1820’s was filling with shops and lodging-houses University St. Pancras Welsh Hotel and St James’s and its population was becoming poorer and more numerous. College Church Congregational Station Church Church 2.3.3 This increasing commercialisation was manifested in a growing number of commercial premises. Rear workshops became common, with the character of the road becoming increasingly industrial. During the 1870’s more premises were given over to light manufacturing and several photographic studios were established. A large number of taverns, coffee- shops and dining-rooms were opened catering to workers in the many local factories and workshops.

2.3.4 Most of the houses were rebuilt in the early twentieth century and Pentonville Road saw redevelopment with a number of large warehouses and factories, and a steep decline in the residential population.

2.3.5 The road maintained its predominantly industrial character until the 1970’s, when the pressure to allow offices became irresistible. Since the early 1990’s the main developments have been for residential buildings including private flats and hotels. The road today has no defining characteristic, but at the east end a sufficient number of late Georgian houses survive to evoke its former residential character.

2.3.6 On King’s Cross Road there were few buildings before the late eighteenth century, partly on account of the marshy nature of the ground close to the Fleet river running along the western side of what is now King’s Cross Road. Many houses had been erected by 1825, when this part of the river was converted into a sewer.

2.3.7 The road was sometimes referred to as Lower Road, Pentonville. In 1862 formal renaming was proposed. The road was given its Fig 2.3.1 ‘From Pentonville Road looking West: Evening’ by John O’Connor, 1884 present name in 1863 by Metropolitan Board of Works. 2.3.8 Welsh Congregational Chapel The chapel was built in 1853-4 and was taken over by the Welsh congregation in 1889 and remained their place of worship until 2006. Its designer, Henry Hodge was a young architect who had previously built a Gothic congregational chapel in Kentish Town. In his first design Hodge orientated the building towards the south, but that was changed to an east-facing arrangement, angled on to the New Road (now Pentonville Road). Here the deep area in front with steps gave access to a long since gone school in the basement.

2.3.9 The chapel is in a plain Neo-gothic style encompassing Early English and Decorated Gothic motifs. The facing materials are Kentish rag laid randomly, with dressings of Caen stone. Fig. 2.3.2 Welsh Congregational Chapel plan However, the tracery and the jambs and voussoirs of the doorways are cast from Ransome’s patent stone, a nineteenth century artificial sandstone.

2.3.10 Adjoining the chapel is a Gothic style house, probably erected concurrently with the chapel as a caretaker’s lodge. It seems to have become a private house about 1865 and was subsequently converted into a shop.

Fig. 2.3.3-5 (Top) Detail views of the southern fl ank of the chapel to King’s Cross

Fig 2.3.6 Detail view of the rose window to the east gale end of the chapel, adjacent Road, (Bottom) view of the north fl ank, hemmed in by the blank wall of No 241-243 to 172-176 King’s Cross Road Pentonville Road 2.4 Prospect, Aspect and Legibility

2.4.1 In conformity with advice set out in the London Borough of Islington’s guidance notes for the King’s Cross Conservation Area (CA21), the proposed scheme is designed to have no impact on the view of the roofscape of St Pancras station and hotel from the north pavement of Pentonville Road.

Fig 2.4.1 Fig 2.4.2 Distant view of St Pancras spire from east end of Pentonville Road View of St Pancras spire from east end of Pentonville Road with proposed massing in red

Fig 2.4.3 Fig 2.4.4 View of St Pancras spire from east end of Pentonville Road with proposed massing in red Close view of St Pancras spire from east end of Pentonville Road with proposed massing in red 2.5 Protected Viewing Corridor

2.5.1 In addition to the locally protected view of the roofscape of St Pancras station and hotel from the northern flank of Pentonville Road, the site falls within one of thirteen vistas protected by the London View Management Framework, in this case a viewing line taken from the gazebo at Kenwood House in Hampstead down to St Paul’s Cathedral.

With a maximum intermittent height of +46.78 metres AOD, the proposed scheme would need to be a whole additional 24 metres taller to infringe the protected view.

It should also be pointed out that the proposal is in any case overshadowed by the considerable bulk and height of No. 200 Pentonville Road directly opposite which completely screens the proposal within the viewing corridor.

Fig 2.5.1 Detail Diagram of Protected Viewing Corridor from Kenwood to St Paul’s Cathedral, with proposal marked Fig 2.5.2 Protected Viewing Corridor from Kenwood House to St Paul’s Cathedral 2.6 Environmental Analysis

2.6.1 Pentonville Road is a major arterial road forming part of the inner London ring road. King’s Cross Road is a one way road of two lanes with a bus stop in front of No 172-176. Prevailing winds are from the south west. The site faces north and south with the King’s Cross Road portion of the site receiving the lion’s share of direct sunlight. The proposed design will be lower on the King’s Cross Road side, not simply because the scale of the existing surrounding building suggests that it should be, but so that the south-facing side of taller section of the proposed design will have full advantage of excellent daylight, particularly the residential element of the scheme on the fifth and sixth floors.

2.6.2 Sunlight/Daylight The proposed scheme has undergone preliminary assessment and is fully in compliance with BRE recommendations. Please refer to the Sunlight/ Daylight assessment and report submitted with this application.

Fig 2.6.1 Environmental diagram 2.7 Surrounding Scale, Character and Materials

2.7.1 Facing the site on the northern side of Pentonville Road are large scale commercial office buildings and twin blocks of refurbished student residential accommodation. The towers rise behind a mixed-use 4 storey podium building, creating a dominant street front elevation. With a height of over 60 metres, the towers dominate the scale of the development in the immediate area and the skyline. [Figs. 2.7.1-2.] At No. 200, opposite, there is a contemporary 10 storey office building. [Fig. 2.7.3.]

2.7.2 The scale of buildings along King’s Cross Road is smaller compared to those along Pentonville Road. To the South of the King’s Cross Road elevation the opposite street frontages are made up of 3 and 4 storey domestic buildings with ground floor commercial uses. Most of these originate from the establishment of the road pattern in the mid 18th century but some were later replaced by buildings of similar scale.

Fig 2.7.1 Nido Student Accommodation along Pentonville Road from King’s Cross Road Fig 2.7.2 Nido Student Accommodation along Pentonville Road from Calshot St

Fig 2.7.4 Recently refurbished building on the Pentonville Triangle Fig 2.7.5 Traditional and contemporary materials in harmony

Fig 2.7.1 Nido Student Accommodation along Pentonville Road from King’s Cross Road 2.8 Other Constraints King’s Cross Road 150-170,186, 188 of the previously refused proposals examined in the next page Pentonville Road 251, 246, 248, 256-260, 266-292, 294-300, 302, points out that the existing, locally listed buildings on the site 2.8.1 The site is located in close proximity to the boundary between 304 “make a limited, albeit positive, contribution to the character the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of and appearance of the area but not so great in my opinion Camden with the line of the boundary on the south side of 2.8.4 Conservation Area as to preclude their demolition subject to the merits of the King’s Cross Road. The site is also part of the King’s Cross Conservation Area replacement proposals.” (CA21), identified and designated by the London Borough of 2.8.2 Listed Buildings Islington. Some of the most important characteristics of this 2.8.5 The appeal decision establishes that, subject to agreeing a The former Welsh Congregational Church (adjacent to the area are: suitable replacement scheme, the demolition of the locally proposal) is statutorily listed at Grade II. listed buildings would not result in substantial harm to the - the impact of major railway termini conservation area. On balance the inspector adjudged that a The nearby no. 259 Pentonville Road (The Bell Public House) - variety of scale well designed replacement scheme would provide sufficient in the is also statutorily listed at - variety of uses, especially at ground level benefits to outweigh the loss of the locally listed buildings. Grade II. - building to back of pavement line - intact Victorian ‘town centre’ 2.8.3 Locally Listed Buildings Nos 237-243 Pentonville Road, which forms part of the area Whilst it should be noted that the proposed demolition of under consideration for development, is a locally listed building the three locally listed buildings on the site was not in strict in the King’s Cross Conservation Area as is No 172-176 King’s accordance with PPG15, we also note that the Appeal Decision Cross Road. Other nearby locally listed buildings include: Notice (APP/V5570/E/08/2061151 and APP/V5570/A/08/2061148)

ISLINGTON

Fig 2.8.1 Borough Map Fig 2.8.2 Grade I, Grade II and locally listed buildings Fig 2.8.3 King’s Cross Conservation Area 2.9 Planning History

2.9.1 Refused Planning Appeal Scheme The rejected appeal scheme (Planning Refs: P072286 and P072287) fails to take any account of the context of the Conservation Area, the urban grain, mass and material palette of buildings in the vicinity. Equally, it fails to establish a compensating contrast to the context with the provision of a crisp and contemporary high quality design. It is a roughly assembled collage of poorly selected materials with incoherent massing. The design lacks any redeeming features.

Furthermore, the greater part of the mass and bulk of this rejected scheme is concentrated in the centre of the site, where it crowds out the listed chapel and encroaches on the features that give this comparatively small building its interest [Fig. 2.9.3.].

2.9.2 The Appeal inspector noted that he would have been willing to countenance demolition of the existing buildings had the replacement scheme had sufficient design merit.

Our proposals have been designed following a thorough assessment of the local townscape and the setting of the designated heritage assets. Whereas the appeal scheme Fig 2.9.1 Composite elevation from Kings Cross Road signally failed to respond adequately to the neighbouring listed building, our proposal seeks to create a high quality contemporary development for the site which both maximises its potential as well as preserving and enhancing the setting of the nearby heritage assets.

Fig 2.9.2 Composite elevation from Pentonville Road Fig 2.9.3 East elevation

Fig 2.9.4 Typical Plan 2.10 Planning Liaison • Supportive of the provision of a retail use on the ground floor • The site is located on the periphery of the King’s Cross to Pentonville Road to create an active frontage Conservation Area, away from both the transport/ industrial 2.10.1 Pre Application Meeting buildings and the National Set Piece of the station termini A meeting was held on Tuesday 6th January 2015 at the offices 2.10.3 Pre Application Meeting II which are the key aspects of the conservation area’s character of the London Borough of Islington at which the client team, In order to address the comments raised by officers at the and appearance the planning Case Officer Ben Le Mare and Kristian Kaminski, earlier meeting a further meeting was held on Wednesday the Conservation Officer, were present. 29th April 2015 with the same attendees. • None of the locally listed buildings on the site are the works of architects of national or local note Key points raised by the planning officers at the meeting The evolution of our design proposals will be examined in included greater depth in the next chapter. • None of the locally listed buildings have any noteworthy historic associations or connections to any personality of local • An acceptance of the principle of a scheme involving the Key differences include but are not limited to interest demolition of all buildings on site with existing facades only retained • Reduction from 7 no. storeys over Ground Floor level to 6 no. • The design of the frontages of the locally listed buildings storeys over ground. are generally unremarkable, sometimes confused, frequently • An acceptance of the principle of a roof-top extension above compromised by inexpert modifications and in poor condition a retained facade • Reduction of massing to the right hand side of the elevation to Pentonville Road with the omission of 2 no. storeys. • The locally listed buildings on site are only “very modest • A “robust justification for demolition” is required examples” of the variety of built forms set out as a feature of 2.10.4 A pre-application response was issued by the planning case the special interest of the conservation area • The tabled proposals are examples of “high quality contextual officer on 29th May 2015 (Ref: Q2015/1278?MJR). design” • The existing buildings on site make only a neutral contribution Points raised include to the setting of the statutorily listed chapel • The uplift in commercial accommodation is welcomed • Acknowledgement that the revised scheme is ‘scaled back’ • Recent case law has interpreted NPPG 2014 as meaning that for harm to be “substantial” very much, if not all significance 2.10.2 A pre-application response was issued by the planning case • Request for study demonstrating retaining or adapting has to be lost officer on January 28th 2015. existing buildings • With respect to the character and significance of Conservation Points raised include • Request for listing of planning benefits of proposed scheme Area as a whole, “the high test of substantial harm would not in Planning Statement be met in the case of this proposed development” • The noting of the Planning Inspector’s 2008 appeal adjudication that the locally listed buildings do not make such • Proposal ‘too high’ a contribution as to preclude their demolition subject to the merits of (any) proposals • Proposal ‘not considered to be of [the] exceptional design quality to warrant [the] loss of locally listed’ buildings • That demolition of the existing locally listed buildings on the site would constitute “substantial harm” to the Conservation • Increase in employment floor-space is supported by policy Area under Policy DM2.3

• The proposal would be “likely to be more appropriate” with 2.10.5 As requested by the case officer at the first pre-application the removal of 2 no. floors from the presented scheme of 7 no. meeting, a Heritage Assessment was prepared by Turley storeys over ground floor Associates for discussion at the second pre-application meeting. The further up-dated report is submitted with this • Notes that the site falls within an Employment Growth application. Area which encourages the “intensification, renewal and modernisation of business floor space” and that the proposed Key points regarding the heritage context made by the uplift in commercial accommodation is “in accordance with” Assessment include: the council’s employment policies 2.11 Design Review Panel 2.12 Public Consultation

2.11.1 Wishing to canvass a broad spectrum of opinion and to assist 2.12.1 Having sent a letter of invitation to users of all the buildings in the evolution of a high quality design, the client team sought neighbouring the site, a meeting was held at the offices a Design Review Panel (DRP) meeting. This took place on 9th Squire and Partners on Thursday 17th March. The meeting June 2015. was held there in order to make it as accessible as possible to all interested parties, located 180 metres from the southern A formal response was issued a fortnight after the meeting (ref: perimeter of the site. A list of all the addresses the letter was DRP/63) sent to is included in Appendix 1.

Key points raised by members of the panel include At the meeting (Fig. 2.12.1) the architects gave a presentation introducing their recent work, the particular inspirations for • Demolition of the existing buildings could be justified by their this project and the key features of our proposal. The client replacement with a proposal of ‘outstanding quality’ and planning consultants were also present to answer any questions raised by members of the public. • The suggestion that a more contemporary design would be more likely to meet this ‘outstanding’ benchmark A full set of drawings and a physical model was presented so that a good understanding of the scheme could be plainly • The proposal presented to the panel was felt to be a ‘pastiche’ conveyed. of a Victorian industrial aesthetic Topics raised included; • A more positive relationship between the proposal and the north flanking wall of the chapel could be developed, • The willingness of the client to enter into a considerate particularly in the treatment of the flanking wall contractor scheme to mitigate disruption to others during works • The Conservation Area could be improved by a proposal of ‘sufficiently high quality’ • The uses of the proposed scheme

• The active frontage with potential retail space and cafe space 2.11.2 The proposal has been completely redesigned following a thorough assessment of the local townscape, the setting of the • The additional external space provided, benefiting all designated heritage assets and the decisive direction of the members of the public Design Review Panel members that the proposal should be bold and contemporary • The materials used in the proposals

The proposal seeks to create a high quality development for the The tenor of the meeting was overwhelmingly positive. site which both maximises its potential as well as enhancing the setting of the nearby heritage assets.

Chapter 3 of this statement provides an in depth analysis of the design of the proposal.

Fig. 2.12.1 Two of the members of the public who attended the Public Consultation, pictured with our Planning Consultant 3.0 Design Analysis

3.1 Initial Research

3.1.1 Contemporary Design and the Conservation Area We have taken care to study the wider context, having regard to the salient characteristics of the King’s Cross Conservation Area (CA21). Among the various architectural styles encountered, this area includes a preponderance of industrial, warehouse type accommodation most of which has been adapted over recent years for a wide variety of uses including office commercial and retail, see images on this page.

3.1.2 Brick is frequently used, with floor slabs often defined externally by render, stonework or special bricks. Windows are frequently wide, set deep between columns, and provide a high degree of relief and contrast which produces muscular bay articulation. Window frames are typically metal and broken down into relatively small panes and openable panels.

Fig. 3.1.1 Fig. 3.1.2 Regent’s Canal Fig. 3.1.3 Railway Street

Fig. 3.1.4 Albion Walk Fig. 3.1.5 Crinan Street 3.1.3 Contemporary Design and Immediate Environs As can been seen in Fig. 2.10.3, the site falls along two boundaries of the Conservation Area. Therefore, the immediate surrounding street-scape of Pentonville and King’s Cross Roads fall outside of this area. The street-scape of the western section of Pentonville Road features a great variety of architectural styles, scales and materials. With the former, this ranges from the eclecticism of the later 19th and early twentieth centuries, as well as a great deal of more recent work of questionable design quality.

There is a far greater variety of scale than found in the Conservation Area, with the 19 storey metal and glass panel double tower development (Nido Student Accommodation) at 210 Pentonville Road almost immediately opposite the site. Of only slightly reduced bulk and height and directly opposite the site is the 10 storey office complex at 200 Pentonville Road (IMS Health HQ Ltd) and the corner of Northdown Street which Fig. 3.1.6 Student Accommodation, 210 Pentonville Road Fig. 3.1.7 200 Pentonville Road also features metal louvers, panels and curtain glazing.

3.1.4 Generally, the scale along King’s Cross Road is somewhat less varied than on Pentonville Road. The Kings Cross Business Centre lies adjacent to the chapel. This determinedly a-contextual building is clad in diagonally zinc standing seam panels. Immediately to the east of the site lies an Edwardian classical 6 bay building (see Fig. 3.1.8) with stone arcades, architraves and cornice. A little further on, one finds no.s 152-158, which features brick quoins, some stone elements and elaborate and decorative Dutch Gables, (Fig. 3.1.9). The stretch of Kings Cross Road immediately surrounding the proposal is therefore characterized by a range of materials and architectural styles.

Fig. 3.1.8 180-186 Kings Cross Road Fig. 3.1.9 164-170 Kings Cross Road Fig. 3.1.10 152-158 Kings Cross Road 3.1.5 We have examined the viability of facade retention. There are a number of ways in which such a proposal would not be achievable.

No.s 233-240, which forms the bulk of the existing building on the site, was designed and built as relatively low grade tenement accommodation, with the following consequences:

• Floor plates are very insubstantial

• Floor to ceiling heights are very cramped and inadequate, decreasing to a fraction over 2.2 metres on the fourth floor

• The external distribution of windows reflects the above

• Existing offices are very cramped, (inset image above right)

A viable facade retention scheme aiming to create high quality Grade A office space would have to provide a number of essential features expected by an increasingly discerning market:

• Floor and ceiling voids capable of carrying the IT, power and thermal control equipment

• BCO specified floor to ceiling heights of 2.6 metres

• Large amounts of natural daylight

• Energy efficient passive thermal control features

As shown in the indicative section on this page, providing modern floor plates and a floor-to-ceiling of 2.6 metres creates:

• Collisions between the retained facade and new structure, with floors running across and obscuring windows.

• Existing window pattern with partial occlusion creates office space deficient in natural light.

Fig. 3.1.11 Illustrative Bay Study and Section 3.1.6 The enhancement of the setting of a listed building is an integral aim of our design. The current setting (Fig. 3.1.12, left) shows how the amenity of the area in front of the elevation is compromised by the proximity of the return wall of No. 241- 243 and it’s unrelieved, dull and unpainted render surfaces.

The Survey of London, covering Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville (vol. no. 47), remarks that ‘ the exterior of the chapel today is cramped at both ends, and presents rather forlorn flanks to the two streets between which it sits’.

Fig. 3.1.12 Former Welsh Congregational Chapel, with No. 241-243 Pentonville Road to the left 3.2 Initial Design Evolution

3.2.1 First Pre-Application Scheme Our initial approach to the proposal was to take a more contextual approach that drew directly from the architectural language and materials found within the Kings Cross Conservation Area (CA21).

We aimed to create a contemporary take on the late nineteenth and early twentieth century industrial buildings which have been so successfully updated and bought back into office use in recent years throughout the Conservation Area.

We therefore developed a design that utilized simple brick columns and lintels with full width and height Crittall type metal windows and an elegant metal clad set back of two floors.

Key benefits of the scheme included

• Provision of BCO Grade A office accommodation

• The provision of 8 No residential units spread over 4 floors

• The giving back of external space to the public realm on the west elevation, improving the setting of the statutorily listed chapel

• The provision of an active frontage to Pentonville Road with a A1/A3 use unit

3.2.2 At the meeting with officers on the 6th January 2015, officers volunteered that they considered the tabled proposals to be ‘high quality contextual design’ albeit too high. Fig. 3.2.1 First Pre-Application Scheme, view east along Pentonville Road

Fig. 3.2.2 First Pre-Application Scheme, aerial view north-east 3.2.3 Second Pre-Application Scheme Our proposals tabled at the second pre-application meeting represent an evolution of the design ethos established by the earlier scheme, having received some positive comments on the quality of the first design at the previous meeting.

In response to concerns raised by officers on the height of our proposal, the second scheme represents a substantial reduction in height and storeys.

Overall, one whole storey was removed from the left hand side of the Pentonville Road elevation. A further two storeys were removed from the right hand side of the elevation.

The stepping down of the Pentonville elevation was made as an acknowledgement of the historical division of frontages to Pentonville Road.

Fig. 3.2.3 Second Pre-Application Scheme, view east along Pentonville Road

Fig. 3.2.4 View north-west along Kings Cross Road