Work starts on latest King’s Cross multi-storey development

King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP) has appointed McLaren Construction as main contractor on one of the last significant commercial and residential buildings on the 67-acre King’s Cross estate.

McLaren started on the development, which is known as R8, in August 2021.

The building comprises two 13-storey blocks linked by a two-storey podium with landscaped roof gardens for users of both buildings. To the east is a residential building of 72 social rented apartments and the western block contains 16,400m² of office and retail space.

KCCLP has entered into a management agreement with TOG (The Office Group), a premium flexible workspace provider, which will see them partner to create the largest – and the first purpose-built – design-led, flexible workspace in King’s Cross.

The building’s design, by Piercy & Co, is said to draw inspiration from industrial warehouses, with exposed finishes and spacious high ceilings. The team will deliver the scheme using fast modern construction methods, such as a unitised façade system on the commercial block.

Like the rest of the King’s Cross development, this latest building will be connected to the onsite Energy Centre, which supplies zero carbon hot water and heating via one of the largest district heating networks in the UK.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2024.