Traces of the past

King’s Cross is one of the largest and most exciting redevelopments in London. The 67-acre site beholds a rich history and a unique setting. What was an underused industrial wasteland is being transformed into a new part of the city with homes, shops, offices, galleries, bars, restaurants, schools, and even a university. The location, the connections, the canal-side location, the varied heritage and an exciting cultural scene make King’s Cross quite special. In Victorian times, King’s Cross was an important industrial heartland, but by the late 20th Century, the area known as the railway lands, had become a series of disused buildings, railway sidings, warehouses and contaminated land. The 1996 decision to move the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from Waterloo to St Pancras was the trigger for a catalytic change and two decades later we have 50 new building, 20 new streets, 10 new major public spaces, the restoration and refurbishment of 20 historic buildings and structures and up to 2,000 homes. Monumental architecture has been seen here since then, but always approached with a distinctive and respectful trace of the past with examples such as, the restored Granary building at the heart of King’s Cross which is now home to the world-famous art college, Central Saint Martins. The building once stored wheat for London’s bakers has been gloriously renovated and overlooks the fountains of Granary Square. Every year in June, the emerging artists and designers showcase their work in disciplines such as fashion, ceramics, industrial design, drama and performance and so on. The college boasts glittering alumni including fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, painter Lucian Freud and singer Jarvis Cocker. 

One of my favourites buildings in the area are the interlocking gas holder triplets. A beautiful metallic construction whose body and scale has not changed after almost two centuries, and its architecture is anything but ordinary. A gas holder is a large container in which natural gas is stored and it was invented in 1824. Before the mid-20th century, coal gas was produced in retorts by heating coal in the absence of air. The coal gas was first used for municipal lighting, with the gas being passed through wooden or metal pipes from the retort to the lantern. This will derive on street lighting and domestic illumination gas installations. Public gas lights were seen as a crime reduction measure. By the 1850s, gas lighting became accepted and every town and city had a gas plant to provide lighting in factories, homes and in the streets, replacing oil lamps and candles with steady clear light. The large gas holders at King's Cross were built in the 1860s to provide gas storage for a large part of London. The interlocking gas holder triplets were built and revised between 1860 and 1880 and now, some 150 years later, they are once again responding innovatively to The Capital's ever-increasing population.

I am wearing a two-piece suit composed by a burgundy blazer and matching stripy trousers. The beautiful straight cut trousers made of wool are perfect for this time of the year. Under the blazer I am wearing a navy roll-neck t-shirt and an ivory shirt both tucked into the trousers. I added more navy to the look with the socks, leather gloves and a pin, with the word “Hello” written on it, on the lapel of the blazer. The green belt and the coat are beautifully matching the classical painting’s print tones of the pouch. The mustard-colour shoes are the exact contrast I wanted to give to the outfit. It’s a smart look after all, but with fun elements, that mixes very diverse concepts like retro fashion, a classical dandy and a circus clown.

Zara blazer, Zara trousers, H&M coat, Zara shirt, Topman roll-neck, Massimo Dutty belt, Peter Werth shoes, Vivianne Westwood pouch, leather-market gloves

Photos by: Evan Baul 

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Web: evanbaul.co.uk