The contemporary building provides 400,000 sq ft of modern office space with flexible floorplates and is now the primary office location for Meta employees in the UK.
The development is divided into four large facets that follow the curve of the site. It is heavily influenced by the industrial heritage of the extensive railway development on its western boundary. The building’s distinctive façade features two layers: a cladding of bronzed anodised aluminium panels sits behind bronze anodised aluminium louvres that are perforated. Together, they reflect the building’s scale and emphasise the curved perspectives along Canal Reach in both distant and near views.
Sustainability has been integral to the project from start to completion. The building utilises passive design principles wherever possible and digital modelling was carried out on the façade to refine the shading requirements for each block in an iterative process.
In addition to an embodied carbon assessment, the building has been awarded a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating, exceeding its original target. It is also connected to the King’s Cross District Energy Network meaning it will benefit from zero carbon heating, hot water and cooling. The King’s Cross District Energy Network is powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
