I had a bit of time to spare on a recent visit to London, after I'd been to the Inside Government event that I recently blogged, so headed for Coal Drops Yard.
I'd popped there a few months earlier in the rain and things were taking shape, but it's coming close to opening in full now. There is a LOT of signage attracting you to the location, which is quite a walk away from King's Cross railway station, and definitely out of the way.
The development was apparently designed by Thomas Heatherwick.
There is some interesting modern sculpture with lighting as part of the development, which features some shops which have apparently been 'curated'.
At the moment, there are few shoppers in there, and the shops are rather niche and expensive, but it will no doubt do well given the location and the demographic living in this area. The old gas storage behind in the picture above has been turned into accommodation as well, and Central St. Martins Art School is also now there, rather than its original location on Long Acre near Covent Garden.
Would be worth exploring with students to ask them who they think this development is targeted at, with respect to urban rebranding and the link with gentrification and demographic profiling.
I'd popped there a few months earlier in the rain and things were taking shape, but it's coming close to opening in full now. There is a LOT of signage attracting you to the location, which is quite a walk away from King's Cross railway station, and definitely out of the way.
The development was apparently designed by Thomas Heatherwick.
There is some interesting modern sculpture with lighting as part of the development, which features some shops which have apparently been 'curated'.
At the moment, there are few shoppers in there, and the shops are rather niche and expensive, but it will no doubt do well given the location and the demographic living in this area. The old gas storage behind in the picture above has been turned into accommodation as well, and Central St. Martins Art School is also now there, rather than its original location on Long Acre near Covent Garden.
Would be worth exploring with students to ask them who they think this development is targeted at, with respect to urban rebranding and the link with gentrification and demographic profiling.
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