PLANNING CONSENT FOR ARGENT T1 APPROVED
MARCH 2013
The Tapestry Building has received reserved matters approval by the London Borough of Camden in a unanimous vote. The building contains residential dwellings, commercial premises, multi-storey car park and the site-wide energy centre.
The energy centre will meet the majority of the heating and power demands for the whole regeneration site. The leader of Camden Council said of the scheme’s approval, “We welcome the continued commitment to helping create a sustainable future environment for King’s Cross.”
ATHLETES OCCUPY OLYMPIC HOUSING
AUGUST 2012
In the run up to the London Olympics, the Athletes’ Village housing block N15, is now occupied with athletes’ preparing for the games. Niall McLaughlin Architects have designed the external skin of the housing block on a ‘chassis’ designed by Glen Howells. The facade samples fragments of the Elgin Marbles, scanned from the British Museum and converted into 3D pre-cast panels depicting galloping horses from the Parthenon Frieze.
Niall McLaughlin commented on the practice’s approach to the unusual commission in Building Design. ‘I was very interested in the principle of the facade being delaminated from the building’s core form. Usually it’s something one tries to swim against to retain a sense of ‘authenticity’, but here we decided to embrace it….I like the idea of setting Ruskin’s conception of the craftsman against the absolute Taylorism of the construction process. Through digital reproduction, these deracinated stones are now doubly lost.’ (Building Design 27.01.2012)