GASHOLDER GETS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

Originally located at Pancras Square, Gasholder No 8 was deconstructed in a laborious process before being moved and re-erected on its current site, as part of the King’s Cross redevelopment. Constructed in the 1850s, the gasholder structure was decommissioned in 2000, before being dismantled, refurbished and reconstructed on its current location.

With its unique and majestic frame, Gasholder Park is a dignified reminder of what was once a part of the largest gasworks in London. The circular frame stands at 25m high, with an internal diameter of 40m. Encircling the edge of the park, sitting just inside the reconstructed steel frame, is a new polished steel canopy that provides a wealth of shelter for patrons, and offers a modern juxtaposition to the historic frame in which it sits.

"It's an unusual and vast space, with a character best appreciated by standing in the middle of the lawn, looking up at the gasholder frames," says Anthony Peter, Project Director at Argent.

Offering a tranquil place for visitors, the greenery of the park was designed by Dan Pearson.  Also responsible for the planting on London’s proposed Garden Bridge, Pearson claims he wanted to create a park with “color, texture, sensory stimulation and seasonal variation within and beyond the space."

Designed as a venue for events, displays and celebrations, as well as a space to relax and take in the nearby canal, Gasholder Park will not stand alone for long. Three other gasholder structures are said to have been dismantled along with No 8 and will be utilised as part of additional developments to be erected next to Gasholder Park as the King’s Cross redevelopment projects continue.