King’s Cross station’s ‘temporary’ green canopy is being torn down 40 years after being installed.
The extension, which was built in 1972 to house the station’s main concourse and ticket office, has overshadowed Lewis Cubbitt’s Grade I listed Victorian façad for the last 40 years.
The demolition work marks the final phase of the station’s restoration, which once complete will see the station’s 19th century architecture returned to its former glory.
Matt Tolan, Network Rail’s programme manager at King’s Cross, said: “We’re finally removing a building that’s almost universally unloved, restoring the station to its full architectural glory and creating a modern station fit for the future that gives passengers and the local community a huge new space to enjoy.
“With the completion of the final phase of King’s Cross station’s redevelopment, we aim to bring a bit of the grandness and old-world charm of Europe’s city centre railway stations right to the heart of 21st century London.”
The final phase of works follows the opening of the John McAslan and Partners glass and steel western concourse in March.
Network Rail’s virtual archive has original design drawings for King’s Cross as well as a breakdown of the station’s history.
