4 Pancras Square by Eric Parry Architects

4 PANCRAS SQUARE

The first UK office building to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ 2014

4 Pancras Square forms the keystone of this new square at King’s Cross and responds to the surrounding regeneration masterplan. The quality and robustness of this project was developed following the success of our client’s preceding office buildings, within a backdrop of a changing market, more flexible user requirements and a greater emphasis on well-being and sustainability.

The building consists of ten storeys of office above ground, an office reception & cafe, retail units at ground and lower ground floors, and two levels of basement. A weathering steel exoskeleton characterises the building.

A 27m vierendeel frame at the first floor allows the transfer of structure to widely-spaced ground floor columns that open up the ground floor for the main entrance to the building reception.

“This is a twenty-first century tour-de-force paying a discreet homage to the heroic engineering achievements of the second half of the nineteenth century.�

Kenneth Frampton Architecture Today

4 Pancras Square Site Plan (1:2500)

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Four Pancras Square Location Plan 1:2500 @ A4

4 Pancras Square Regent’s Canal St Pancras Station Pancras Square Zone B King’s Cross Station Google HQ

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4 Pancras Sq Regent’s Ca St Pancras S Pancras Squ Zone B King’s Cross Zone A

Materiality & Craftsmanship A cast iron gasometer previously occupied the site and this informed the expressed weathering steel exoskeleton. We contrasted this with white glazed ceramic for the horizontal brisesoleil, which when combined together, recall the heroic engineering and materials of the industrial revolution and the railways.

Glazed ceramic was used in the 19th century and early modernism architecture in response to the dirtier environment of the European cities of these times. The natural patination of the steel absorbs light in contrast to the glazed surface of the ceramic that reflects light, together giving the building its unique character.

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Vierendeel The journey

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Section A-A 1:500

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reception retail office floors dedicated ramp to cycle store

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roof garden basement plant room Goods Way Pancras Square

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Pancras Square office reception with cafe area cafe wc and preparation area

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Social & Economic Benefits The office reception was conceived from the outset as a ‘hotel’ style lobby with a shared entrance and café to facilitate informal meetings and lunches. The generous set-backs at ground floor level allow the public realm to ‘sweep’ underneath the building, creating routes across the site as well as space for the café to spill out. A central district heating network provides 80% of the entire site’s energy demand via localised energy regeneration of combined heat and power units.

Health & Wellbeing The building provides double the BCO requirement for shower provision with 38 gym style cubicles and 216 cycle spaces. The design exploits the fall across the site enabling a direct cycle ramp into the basement for all to use. The team treated this cycle route as a primary front of house entrance with quality finishes and bespoke graphics leading directly to the lift lobbies. This generous provision has enabled the fit-out to provide further amenities, such as a yoga studio, without providing additional base facilities.

Typical Level 1:500

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Pancras Square reception retail office floors

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roof garden basement Goods Way

The amenity space and porosity of the terraces connect the interiors and tenants of the building directly to the square.

Upper Level 1:500

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roof garden / landscape design by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan open plant area kitchen double-height open plant area

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Sustainability Energy efficiency was prioritised in a range of applications including high-efficacy LED lighting, solar shading, thermal mass for cooling and a link to the site-wide district heating network.

An efficient services installation includes displacement ventilation offering clear benefits in terms of heat recovery, low maintenance and passive cooling potential and adaptability.

Adoption of Life Cycle Costing analysis informed the envelope design, services solutions and internal finishes, including water-saving WCs, combined with grey water recycling.

Enjoyment The building has a strong civic presence at the head of the square, the large span of the Vierendeel truss giving it a gravitas and allowing the landscaping to flow into the permeable ground floor. The extent of amenity space and connections to the outdoors help blur the boundaries of the workspace. The moorland roof garden provides an oasis for contemplation and socialising.

“It’s going to be an energising place to work and feels like a natural home for Universal Music with many opportunities for collaboration and inspiration literally on our doorstep!”

David Joseph Chairman & CEO of Universal Music UK

When compared to a typical office building, 4 Pancras Square consumes 65% less gas and electricity.

The central district heating network provides 80% of the entire site’s energy demand via a localised energy generation system of combined heat and power units.

Costs & Areas Total Cost: Shell & core £67,116,000 Total Cost: Cat A £8,926,000 Overall Cost: £76,042,000 GIA Area: 280,669 sqft ( £271/sqft ) NIA Area: 194,504 sqft ( £391/sqft ) Base date: June 2017

Building’s operation energy and carbon performance Total energy use for whole building Regulated only: 51.63 kWh/m²/yr Regulated & unregulated: 96.6 kWh/m²/yr Note: based on TM54 calculation process (including dynamic model)

Structure & Faรงade Construction Exposed concrete soffits utilised thermal mass within heating / cooling system and reduced the demand on mechanical methods.

The concrete frame provided a robust and durable structure capable of accommodating future modification.

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Weathering steel structural pier Weathering steel panel Extruded glazed terracotta brise-soleil panel Full-height glazing Structural glazed parapet with vitreous enamel handrail Aluminium ceiling cladding Inverted roof system Weathering steel vierendeel truss Exposed concrete soffit

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In Numbers: 307,000 sqft GEA 18,500 sqft floor plates 10,000 tension control bolts holding the frame together 1,900 tons overall amount of steel in the frame 216 cycle spaces 72 tons - largest single steel truss component 38 showers 27 metres largest single span 18 days of welding to main 27m spanning truss 11 storeys 3.2 metre floor to exposed soffit

The Team Client: King’s Cross Central Ltd Partnership Architect: Eric Parry Architects Employers Agent and Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobald Structural Engineer: AKT 2 M&E and Fire Engineer: Sweco Façade Fire Consultant: Trenton Fire Landscape Architect: Todd Longstaffe-Gowan Façade Consultant: FMDC Lighting Consultant: Speirs + Major CDM Coordinator: David Eagle Acoustic Consultant: Sandy Brown Associates Office Consultant: KKS Strategy Contractor: BAM Construction Ltd