Kings Cross comes of age with the completion of Gasholders: luxury apartments within the industrial Victorian landmark

A decade and a half ago, the area behind Kings Cross was an industrial wasteland the likes of which most people wouldn’t want to be traversing after dark unless they had insider knowledge of a particularly worthwhile warehouse party.

Designers and developers meanwhile, were busy sizing up its potential, and in 2002 Wilkinson Eyre devised a concept that would see the area’s most prominent landmark: the trio of interlocking gasholders, cleaned up and transformed into three elegant residential buildings.

This week finally marked the official completion of Gasholders London, and the transformation – full of bespoke details and historical references – is indeed remarkable. As the largest urban redevelopment scheme in Europe, today Kings Cross presents an extremely different picture to the turn of the Millennium: vibrant public space abounds, with cultural offerings and ambitious modern developments springing up at every turn.

There is plenty more still to come too. But the area’s rich industrial heritage and historical character is what really distinguishes it, and the cast-iron Grade-II listed gasholder guide frames – abandoned as heavy industry moved to the outskirts of the city – are a crucial visual reminder.

Back when Wilkinson Eyre won the project, they were already riding the high of having won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize twice in a row. In the intervening years they have scooped many more prizes and many more projects, including the New Bodleian Library in Oxford, the Guangzhou International Finance Centre and the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

Just over the river in London they are also currently responsible for the restoration of Battersea Power Station. It’s a major vote of confidence in the project then, that director Chris Wilkinson, OBE RA Dip Arch RIBA Hon FAIA FCSD, is moving in himself.

Built on concrete cylinders of eight, nine and 12 storeys, the differing heights of the glass and steel buildings neatly suggest the movement of the original gasholders, which would have risen up or down depending on the pressure of the gas within.

Encased inside the Victorian iron pillars and struts, a total of 145 units range from studios to three bedroom apartments, duplexes and penthouses. There’s a private gym and spa, a business lounge and an entertainment suite, bar reception area and private dining room. Apartments are accessed through a central courtyard, each drum volume with its own atrium and core.

The roofs are planted as gardens, and the views – as could perhaps be expected with a circular scheme – are spectacularly panoramic. “Working with circular geometry has resulted in really beautiful ideas,” says Wilkinson. “What began as a challenge, turned out to be a blessing.”

Inside, there is much that has been made bespoke. From the cast concrete sinks to the brass door handles and kitchen cabinetry in Valchromat by Barzaghi store. Jonathan Tuckey Design was responsible for the interior design, which successfully combines industrial, craft and luxury elements in a way that suits the London context, and draws inspiration from the intricacy and refinement of a traditional watch.

“The gasholders are historic, industrial structures being redeveloped, but in a more enduring sense, we view it like a watchmaker would see a beautiful timepiece,” agrees Wilkinson.

The architect also designed the automated steel perforated shutters on the exterior of the building, which residents can control at the touch of a button for additional privacy or protection from the elements. It’s the details, such as the brass accents that appear as they fold, that make the difference.

Placing new against old, and finding ways to create an elegant contrast, has earned Gasholders London place as a passion project for many of those involved. “The project has been a huge part of our lives since WilkinsonEyre won the design competition back in 2002,” says Wilkinson.

“My wife and I chose to buy a home here because it represents the very essence of city life and offers unique canalside views. The Gasholders create a dynamic counterpoint between old and new, sitting within the vibrant Kings Cross area. We love the idea of jumping on a train to Paris for the weekend, and that we are so well connected to the rest of London and the whole of the country.”

Prices from ￡810,000 via Knight Frank; gasholderslondon.co.uk