Stanton Williams is the winning architect in an international competition to design what will become one of London’s biggest public squares in front of King’s Cross station. Beating off competition from more than 100 architects and urban designers from around the world, the design impressed the judging panel with it's innovative approach and commitment to a design of high architectural credibility.

At 7000m2, the new public square will be bigger than Leicester Square and will be the final piece in the jigsaw of Network Rail’s £500m redevelopment of King’s Cross station which will see:

• More space created to cope with the millions of people who rely on the station each year
• More natural light allowed into the station making it a brighter, more pleasant place to be
• New shops and better facilities
• Better connections for passengers and a new platform for more services

The redevelopment will not only free up space for the new square but will also bring the 150-year-old Grade-I listed southern station façade back into public view for the first time in more than 30 years.

The majority of the station redevelopment will be completed by 2012 in time for the Olympics. The new public square will be completed in 2013.
Once completed, 50m passengers will use the new station each year – 10m more than today. An additional platform, increasing reliability and capacity at the station will be built
The new station will include integrated transport links with international and domestic services from St Pancras and the London Underground
The Grade 1 listed façade will be restored to its former glory by demolishing the current single-storey extension to the station
 A new open piazza in front of the station, larger than Leicester Square, will be created

Jim Cornell, former executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust, headed the panel which chose the winning architect alongside representatives from Network Rail, English Heritage, Design for London and the London Development Agency and Camden and Islington councils.

Alan Stanton, of Stanton Williams Architects, said: “We are very excited to have been selected to work on this project at the heart of the city. This is a unique opportunity to create a new public square as part of one of London’s busiest transport interchanges. The design will address the challenge of integrating the legacy of existing structures on the site to create an environment which functions seamlessly for the public and makes an important contribution to the regeneration of the surrounding area.”

Victoria Pender, Network Rail group director and member of the judging panel, said: “Network Rail’s redevelopment of the station will transform King’s Cross and provide a wonderful gateway to London for everyone who uses the station. Working with Stanton Williams will enable us to draw on the best of British design and help us fulfil the vision we have for better stations delivering great customer service.”

Rachel Stopard, Camden Council director for culture and environment, said: "My congratulations to Stanton Williams. The new square will not only form an integral part of the redevelopment of King's Cross, making it one of the largest public squares in London, but will also contribute to our broader vision of a better public realm along Euston Road at the heart of the borough of Camden."

Stanton Williams is an award-winning practice that works on a wide range of cultural, commercial and residential projects. Their designs show a deep understanding of how people experience and use spaces, creating places of lasting value that respond to their cultural social and physical context. Their urban space projects in London include the new Tower Hill square, Theatre Square and Centre Point Plaza (under construction). They are currently working on major projects in the UK, Germany and France.

Working for Network Rail’s King’s Cross project team, Stanton Williams will deliver this landmark project alongside well-established and world-class architect John McAslan & Partners and contractors Vinci, Kier, Arup and Carillion.

The square must be able to cope with up to 100,000 commuters, visitors and residents every day. Network Rail has set aside £6m for the project which is scheduled for completion in 2013.

In addition to the new public square, Network Rail is also investing £1m working with London Borough of Camden to spend on improvements to the local area, including £750,000 to improve the pedestrian environment along York Way. The whole redevelopment is expected to generate over 400 additional jobs.

Benefits to the local community:

• Network Rail’s project has included £1m for London Borough of Camden to spend on improvements to the local area, including £750,000 to improve the pedestrian environment along York Way.
• As well as redeveloping the station itself, Network Rail will spend over £6m to create a major new public piazza space outside the southern end of the station which will be larger than Leicester Square.
• The equivalent of almost 400 jobs will be created as a result of this work and Network Rail is working with surrounding local authorities to support training and employment for people in the local community.
• Network Rail has also pledged to provide £175,000 to increase the number of covered cycle racks for the station. This will help to provide 800 more spaces for bike parking in the King’s Cross Central site in time for the Olympics.
• King’s Cross has been identified by the Mayor’s London Plan as an area of potential growth. Network Rail is working closely with local authorities and neighbouring developers (London and Continental Railways, and Argent plc) so that plans for the station support this wider development. Network Rail will also support a number of local community groups throughout this project.