Kings Cross

[1H was 2E]

Regarding the BBC news item I'm sure it isn't "the first time the façade has been visible in 150 years". In the early 70's I often strolled over to KGX from the other side, and there was a short period when all the clutter of temporary (?wartime) buildings had been removed and before the construction of replacement thoughtlessly-placed eyesores when one could see the original architect's design intention.
Used KGX a few weeks ago to catch a Grand Central for the GG and found the entrance to the platforms not particularly noticeable, positioned in a line of shop fronts. BNS is the same, but obviously land in city centres is for SHOPS!!!!!!
But then architects live deep in the countryside and don't use public transport.

[Mickey]

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[robertcwp]

I took a couple of photos on my mobile phone at lunchtime today:


IMG00007-20130926-1314am by robertcwp, on Flickr


IMG00008-20130926-1316am by robertcwp, on Flickr

[JASd17]

I think Lewis Cubitt, the architect, and the original GNR directors would be amazed.

Thank you Robert.

John

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Have they fitted glass doors in the arches under the awning, otherwise the wind blowing through there will horrendous.

Been there felt that..........the old Taxi road, was a wind tunnel.

manna

[StevieG]

There was no sign of doors coming on Wed. afternoon (Sept.25th)

IIRC there was some sort of plaque in the just-demolished concourse/travel centre/shops annexe that mentioned its opening as sometime around 1971/2. So although the clearing of the 'African village' out front ready for that building would've had to start some time earlier, I would have thought that the opening of the Victoria line (1967?) would have been earlier still.

[Mickey]

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[StevieG]

Thanks for the additional info. Micky.

[Andy W]

Went across the square in the sunshine this afternoon on my way to the NR offices down York Way and, rest assured Manna, the arches have automatic doors fitted to them. The automatic gates inside were open (they seem to be most of the time now) and I walked across to the new concourse.

The thing that struck me about the station was the quietness, despite the main train shed being nearly full. It was a far cry from when I used to work there in the 1970s but one thing I don't miss is the dirt. York Way is also much cleaner than it was, albeit a bit dusty.

I sometimes depart north from the old cab road (now Platform 0) and I still feel it is all a bit strange. However it is wonderful to see what they have done to the station and the area. It might have lost that particular "feel" that we experienced in our youth but the station is still there doing the job it was designed to do all those years ago and fit for another generation or two.

[robertcwp]

Today's view:


IMG00009-20130927-1314a by robertcwp, on Flickr

[robertcwp]

Early 1970s King's Cross:

The slide mount for this one was dated May 1973 but it might have been taken some time prior to that:


KX_MAY-73 by robertcwp, on Flickr

And shortly after completion:


GN_1973-4_KingsCrossExterior by robertcwp, on Flickr

[Mickey]

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[jwealleans]

Don't forget that area is arrivals only these days, Micky. Departures is under the big new glass half dome on the St Pancras side. I haven't been through there much this year but whenever I have the old concourse was fairly empty. I'm down twice in the next two weeks so I'll try to take some notice of what it's like then.

[robertcwp]

Atleast with the British Rail 1973 built concourse and travel centre area it gave the travelling public somewhere to stand and wait for there train to depart or for meeting friends off arriving trains but now the old concourse area is just a 'open space' there can't be very much space left undercover of the station roof between the buffer stops and the glass fronted entrance/exit doors to accommodate that many member's of the travelling public?.

Funny your picture is dated May 1973 because i thought it was 1973 but after checking the date on another site they stated it was 1972?. Atleast i got the time of the year spring/summer correct.

This is the new concourse, which is pretty spacious:


IMG00035-20120320-1415am by robertcwp, on Flickr

[StevieG]

" Went across the square in the sunshine this afternoon on my way to the NR offices down York Way and, rest assured Manna, the arches have automatic doors fitted to them. The automatic gates inside were open (they seem to be most of the time now) and I walked across to the new concourse. .... "

Thanks Andy. I can hardly be surprised that there are doors, not only for draught-prevention(? - read on*), but it would surely be very difficult to close the station in the wee small hours effectively if the only deterrent to unwanted entry was the ticket gates.
- * ( - but at many times, whether the doors will be purely manually operated or automatic, I'd have thought that there could be sufficiently high numbers of people passing through that at least some will probably remain open for lengthy periods.)

I think having travelled via King's Cross almost daily throughout all the works in the arches and just outside in the 'new' (now gone) concourse and for 'the Square', and the ever-changing temporary walking routes in and out, confined by the 7 foot-ish high Heras -type fencing lined by green tight-mesh plastic netting, I must've become mentally blind to what was on the 'works' side of the fencing, even to the extent of not noticing evidence of doors as recently as last Wed., the day before the grand opening.

" Don't forget that area is arrivals only these days, Micky. Departures is under the big new glass half dome on the St Pancras side. .... "

That was, and presumably still is, the theory jweallens, but perhaps as a nod to practicality, when the ticket gates are in use, it is quite common to find one or two set for entering (displaying the green arrow rather than a red cross), perhaps more towards the York Way (Plat.1) side, though where they are can seem a bit random - perhaps whichever ones the particular local gate controller thinks a good idea at the time.