Gasholders King’s Cross

The new Gasholders’ façade is designed to look different from every angle. The perforated façade sparks curiosity of passers-by while protecting from the sun and preserving the privacy of the people who live in the building. Inside, 180 precast Ductal® panels line the walls of the central courtyard. Cool gray with fine vertical ribbing, the Ductal® panels are relieved by walkways slung off the wall to connect the blocks on three levels. The 180 panels used a self-finished Reckli rubber mold technology during production that created the texture. The ground floor panels were underslung and were transported into place using specially fabricated trolleys. Above the ground floor, each panel was lifted above 11 storeys into the internal drum of the structure where they were then installed.

The curved panels reflect the overall form of the building while providing contrast to the complexities of the Victorian iron and steel structure. Balance and finish is carefully achieved using Ductal materials designed to be as long as the historic structure itself. Simple casting techniques yielded a panel system that was very efficient in terms of labor use and with a final result of subtle but very high quality.