York House King’s Cross Workspace Building, TOG London News, Pentonville Road Architecture

York House, King’s Cross Workspace

KX flexible workspace for The Office Group London, England, UK, design by dMFK Architects

26 Oct 2019

York House Workspace at King’s Cross

Location: Pentonville Road, King’s Cross, North London, England

Design: de Metz Forbes Knight Architects (dMFK)

York House Opens in King’s Cross Following Redesign by dMFK

Photos by Jack Hobhouse

York House in King’s Cross, The Office Group (TOG)’s latest flexible workspace, is now open in King’s Cross on Pentonville Road, following a complete refurbishment and extension undertaken by dMFK Architects. York House is the fourth building from TOG in the King’s Cross area and its 38th workspace open in the UK.

The reimagined workspace, set across 70,000 sq ft over eight storeys, transforms the former 1980’s office building into a larger dynamic space for TOG’s membership base, featuring best in class amenities including a state-of-the-art gym, café, library, terraces and roof gardens with panoramic views of the city. In designing the interior concept, dMFK cites influences from the Golden Age of British sculpture, furniture, and craft in reference to the building’s roots in the post-war British Art scene, including a retained sculpture created by Geoffrey Clarke, a pioneer of the period.

The work to open up York House and create a welcoming entrance at ground level comprised a substantial five storey extension, constructed using a timber frame and angled lattice brickwork in the same brick as the original building. In transforming the existing façade, dMFK, together with Webb Yates Engineers, have created a decorative external effect complemented by a soft internal diffuse light, illuminating the building as an eye-catching beacon.

Upon entering York House, TOG members and visitors will be greeted by a double height reception area formed of raw finishes; the original concrete structure, new exposed timber frame and brick façade. The reception desk is formed as a solid mass of blackened lacquered mild steel that sits in contrast to the intricate façade and feature grid of lighting on the exposed timber soffit above.

Internally the building has been stripped back to its frame, featuring a fit-out of dark wood and terracotta tiles, with deep red and green upholstery inspired by the mid tones of Robin Day. As with TOG’s other workspaces, access to natural daylight remains a priority with the intention of creating a positive and productive environment for members. Wide glazed openings created at ground and lower floors in York House maximize daylight across all of the office and communal lounge spaces.

On the upper floors, a number of private and communal courtyards and stepped roof terraces provide al fresco spaces for TOG’s nomadic members to work from, including a rooftop pavilion crafted from innovative and sustainable materials such as cross-laminated timber and perforated folded aluminium. A second roof terrace on the 7th floor has been created, wrapped in a parapet of plum-coloured bricks in a stacked dog-tooth pattern, offering sweeping views across Canary Wharf, the City and St. Pancras.

The redesign of York House has also taken a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, awarded a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification, with methods including the installation of solar panels, premium insulation and double glazing taking the building’s efficiency rating from G to A.

With a strong geographic spread of workspaces and characterful buildings across London, the building’s members will benefit from access to TOG’s entire network of 38 open offices in the UK.

Charlie Green, Co-CEO at TOG, said: “We own this building so we had a real opportunity to create something different with what was previously about as uninspiring a building as you can get. We have worked with dMFK Architects to totally transform York House, adding 30% more space to the building with various extensions, and the result is something truly stunning.”

Ben Knight, Director at dMFK Architects, commented: “Our seventh and largest office building for The Office Group, this is undoubtedly our most ambitious to date. dMFK’s goal from the outset was to achieve more permeability – opening the building up to the daylight, giving it a more welcoming feel, and maximising the potential of the space throughout. The unusual façade adds a new landmark building to TOG’s portfolio.”

Steve Webb, Director at Webb Yates Engineers, said “We will always push for timber over steel or concrete for sustainability reasons. Here it’s shown to work not only functionally but has also become part of the flavour of the building. The transition between the new timber original, exposed, 80s concrete frame at the back of the front extension is a detail that exemplifies how the building industry can become a little kinder and more considerate.”

ABOUT THE OFFICE GROUP (TOG)

• TOG is a leading provider of design-led and flexible offices, meeting rooms and co-working spaces for start-ups, small businesses as well as larger, more established businesses.
• TOG allows members to work across multiple locations and enables companies to grow, downsize or move space quickly and cost effectively.
• TOG is focused on creating inspirational workplaces with a genuine sense of community, as highlighted by the inclusion of spaces such as libraries, screening rooms, cafes, gyms and gardens.
• Co-CEOs Charlie Green and Olly Olsen co-founded TOG with their first building in 2003.
• In June 2017, Blackstone – a global leader in real estate investment – acquired a majority interest in TOG from former Chairman, Lloyd Dorfman CBE. Together with Blackstone, TOG is now in a new stage of development, accelerating growth by expanding its portfolio and client base, and continuing to define new and innovative ways of addressing how people wish to work.
• Further information is available at www.theofficegroup.com
• Follow TOG on Twitter @TheOfficeGroup

ABOUT dMFK

• de Metz Forbes Knight Architects (dMFK) was established in London by Julian de Metz, Paul Forbes and Ben Knight in 1998.
• dMFK is recognised for thoughtful new-build projects in constrained and sensitive contexts and for bold and imaginative reworking of existing buildings.
• The practice’s extensive experience of working in and around existing fabric includes major works to buildings and structures by Sir Basil Spence, Wallis Gilbert, IK Brunel and Maxwell Ayrton.
• Notable residential projects include RIBA award-winning housing for Urban Splash in New Islington, Manchester; the National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill, and the re development of Wallis Gilbert’s iconic Art Deco Nestle Factory in Hayes.
• Experience in the workplace sector spans office buildings for Derwent London, co-working spaces in London and Germany for The Office Group, and many mixed-use schemes.
• Education and health projects include a range of educational spaces for The Tate and HIV community centres for Body and Soul.
• dMFK was recently awarded the Company of Chartered Architects City of London Building of the Year Special Livery Award for their renovation and extension of The Salters’ Hall, a Brutalist livery hall in the City of London, and have worked for a range of City Livery companies including the Salters, Saddlers, Butchers and Brewers.
• For more information, visit www.dmfk.co.uk/

York House King’s Cross London – Building Information

Architect: dMFK Architects
Client: The Office Group
QS: Quantem Consulting
Contractor: Collins Construction
Interiors: dMFK Architects
Structural engineer: Webb Yates Engineers
M&E engineer: Environmental Engineering Partnership
Fire engineer: MLM
Landscape architect: Space Hub

Photographs © Jack Hobhouse