Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design by Stanton Williams





Architects Stanton Williams have completed a new campus for art and design college Central Saint Martins in and around a Victorian granary and two former transit sheds in London. To the north of King’s Cross and St Pancras International railway stations, 67-acres of derelict land are being transformed in what is one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration projects. The result will be a vibrant mixed-use quarter, at the physical and creative heart of which will be the new University of the Arts London campus, home of Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design.

Two new four-storey buildings provide studio blocks between the two 180 metre-long sheds, one of which now houses workshops. Cycle stores are located in historic horse stables below this eastern shed, while shops and bars now occupy the ground floor of the western shed. Four-storey-high concrete walls frame the main entrance to the college, which leads into an internal street with overhead bridges and an arched, clear plastic roof. A performing arts centre located at the end of this street contains a 350-seat theatre for student performances. The refurbished former granary now houses a library and faces a public square currently under construction.







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