233-243 Pentonville Road & 172-176 King’s Cross Road Design and Access Statement For the London Borough of Islington 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 Paddington. 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.