Kings Cross Environment

An enormous temporary building has appeared over the last week at the North end of the railway lands behind Kings Cross.  Yesterday a huge pavilion roof was hoisted up by six cranes, the walls will probably go in today.  Enquiries with Argent revealed it isn’t one of their’s.  It is probably for the Arrivals festival in November – a big arts and culture bash to welcome the Eurostar – for which an embryonic website has just gone live.

UPDATE 7 September

The tent is up and it is huge, absolutely colossal temporary structure – click on photo to enlarge

Nido are about to bring over 1,000 people to live in Kings Cross in a refit of the old tower blocks at 200 Pentonville Road and Calshot Street.  This will probably be the biggest ever single influx of people to Kings Cross.  These people, largely foreign students will all be very welcome.  The new student accommodation is 860 units of ‘cubicle’ living with some affordable rented housing at the top.  The cubicles are tiny less than 12 foot by 12 foot including ‘bathroom’ and you pay £140 a week for a small one or £120 a week to share a very slightly bigger one at 184 square foot.  The concept is an interesting one – refurbishing office buildings in run down areas as residential accomodation – it has worked well to regenerate some cities in America and is unusual in the UK.  Blackstone the developers own the Savoy and Centre Parcs.

After having cut down the nice trees on Pentonville Road it would be good if Nido somehow or other engaged with the community – let’s see what happens when it is up and running.  People are due to move in in September.  But it all looks very unfinished (pics here), with cranes everywhere, the pedestal part of the building with a lot of work to do and some windows still boarded up on the towers.  Workmen on the site shrug diplomatically when you ask them when it will be finished.  The marketing is targetted hard at overseas students and linked to from London Met – let’s hope it’s ready, especially given how confusing it is for people moving to a foreign country for the first time. There is an embryonic Nido Facebook Group here and some entertaining PR here and here but nothing can really surpass Nido’s own blurb…..

‘Nido is the newest way of living student life in London; we call it “Nidology”. A stylish home in the heart of the capital, purpose built with the latest bits of technology, and loads of hassle-free extras. A community of 1045 students, each living their own way.’

‘Joining Nido is also about being one of the 1045 young locals. It’s up to you all to make life what you want it to be – transform the Communal Area together, get everyone out on a trip, or just screen a favourite movie. And if you’re ever at a loss for what to do, the Resident Assistants will be keeping you in touch with local events, as well as organising their own activities.’