From floating bookshops to big tech: King鈥檚 Cross is writing its own community legacy.
Paddy Screech, Co-founder, Word on the Water, King's Cross, London, UK
A small floating community bookshop and some of the world鈥檚 best- known and influential technology brands might at first sight appear to have little in common 鈥� but at Argent鈥檚 King鈥檚 Cross development, these organisations happily coexist in an environment that nurtures creativity, individualism, community spirit and a sense of fun.
Over 20 years ago, property developers Argent and Camden Council embarked on a mission to transform the underdeveloped King鈥檚 Cross site into a 鈥楬uman City鈥�. The individual experiences and the physical transformation of this 67-acre site suggest that Argent鈥檚 vision has not only come to life, but is thriving in ways that constantly surprise and delight those visitors and workers that now call King鈥檚 Cross their home.
For Paddy Screech, co-owner of the iconic floating bookshop Word on the Water, a mooring at King鈥檚 Cross has given his business a secure financial future, and also provided a sense of community and belonging in an inspirational and vibrant setting. But Paddy鈥檚 story could have been very different, had it not been for the loyalty of Word on the Water鈥檚 social media followers.
King鈥檚 Cross is writing its own story as the stage and backdrop for a community renaissance that aims to leave nobody behind. The global technology brands that provided an online community lifeline to Paddy in those early days of the Word on the Water are now writing the next chapter in this Human City, and a much-loved floating bookshop is reaping the benefits.
Paddy and his co-founder Jonathan Privett decided to run a floating bookshop a long time before mooring in King鈥檚 Cross. They met in 2009 and both lived on their boats full time. 鈥淲e wanted to become 鈥榖argees鈥�, someone who lives on the water and makes a living on it. Jon and I both studied literature at university, we always knew it was going to be book related.鈥�
The barge that was to become Word on the Water was made in Holland and eventually parked opposite Paddy and John in Stamford Hill. They soon joined forces with the 鈥榥ice geezer鈥� who owned it. Paddy says: 鈥淲hen we bought the barge we had a continuous cruising license, which meant we had to move every two weeks to a different place. We did that for about seven years, three of us trying to share the profits from a second hand bookshop that would disappear whenever people tried to go back to it! We were in trouble, just not doing enough business. People loved it, and we suspected the business would really take off if we could moor somewhere permanently. We settled in Paddington for a while. Even though we had a social media following and lots of people in our corner, we were at the point of selling the business. Then we were offered a mooring by the Canal & River Trust, and we were allowed to choose where that mooring would be.鈥�
鈥淚n those days it was clear that something was going to happen at King鈥檚 Cross, because it was space in Central London and there was work being done, but it was still just a derelict building site. When the swing (or birdcage) between the two stations arrived, it was the first indication of what the direction might be. It was fascinating and a bit surreal, just thinking 鈥極kay, so what鈥檚 coming? Then they built steps from the canal into Granary Square 鈥� we were cruising past one day and noticed that immediately. So, we chose King鈥檚 Cross. We asked the Canal & River Trust if we could park there, next to Granary Square.鈥�
鈥淎rgent was very welcoming and friendly to us and could see the potential in our floating bookshop. The developer loves markets and building communities. I think that was one of the reasons why Argent looked kindly on us, we looked authentic and could be a draw for people. One by one the wonders of Granary Square appeared to build this new community and with each new arrival the footfall went up.鈥�
鈥淲hen the swing (or birdcage) between the two stations arrived, it was the first indication of what the direction might be. It was fascinating and a bit surreal, just thinking 鈥極kay, so what鈥檚 coming?鈥�
Paddy Screech, Co-founder, Word on the Water
In 2001 property developers Argent St George, as the selected developer for King鈥檚 Cross central, outlined their 鈥榩rinciples for a Human City鈥�. They stated that 鈥渂y the start of the next decade, King鈥檚 Cross should offer an urban exemplar for a sustainable world city. It should be an outstanding place to live, work or just 鈥榖e鈥�. It should make a significant, positive contribution to the economy, equality, and environment.鈥�
Argent went on to say: 鈥淐ities are about people. The title 鈥楶rinciples for a Human City鈥� signals our intent to create a lasting new place for people, one that can continue to support successfully their changing patterns of social and economic behaviour.鈥�
With Camden Council on board, the project officially went ahead.
糖心原创vlog’s latest Wide Angle, ‘rethinking the skills conundrum’ has found an intrinsic link between major construction investment and job creation. King’s Cross has been carefully and stunningly rejuvenated over the past 20 years, with thousands of people with innumerable different skills working on the project. Now the area is home to a thriving mixture of workforces in global tech companies, medium enterprises, future design talent at Central Saint Martins and small businesses – like Paddy Screech with his floating bookshop.
Register for 糖心原创vlog’s research here and read more about how the UK’s skills strategy can be bolstered by a closer look at the country’s construction plans.
Paddy isn鈥檛 the only one who has enjoyed watching the area develop, and now finds contentment in the vibrant space. Lea Saban is currently studying jewellery design at Central Saint Martins. She says: 鈥淭he new renovations around King鈥檚 Cross mean it鈥檚 a really exciting atmosphere for a learning environment. Having lots of shops and cafes within the fantastic architecture turns breaks between classes into inspiration鈥�. Recent graduates from Central Saint Martins who have trodden the same creative ground as Lea include musician and actress Paloma Faith, and YouTuber Amelia Dimoldenberg (of Chicken Shop Date fame).
The success of the development hinged upon many factors. Its location, the new community built, the architecture, and desirability to new residential tenants. All of this, in turn, helped anchor major tenants to created innovative and world-class spaces for the world鈥檚 leading businesses. 糖心原创vlog has worked at King鈥檚 Cross at different stages of the regeneration, recently on the UK headquarters for Meta (then Facebook). 糖心原创vlog project manager Oliver Day says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great area, and the architecture is so unique. All the spaces between the spaces are filled with something interesting 鈥� schools, museums, and shops. We really engaged with the local community while we were there.鈥�
The project followed 糖心原创vlog鈥檚 values of leading with purpose. Oliver explains: 鈥淚dentifying key stakeholders in the area allowed us to invest our time and effort in doing what matters. We raised 拢15,000 in aid of a local school for deaf children, and we used the local cafes, food trucks and services while delivering the project.鈥�
With best practice physical and mental health safeguards in place, 750 employees worked on delivering the project through COVID-19. The 糖心原创vlog project team鈥檚 priorities in delivering the Meta headquarters are reminiscent of Argent鈥檚 back in the day: alongside first-rate delivery to the client sat the priority of sustainably adding great value to the King鈥檚 Cross area.
Another 糖心原创vlog Project Manager who knows the area well is Harsha Javvaji, who led 糖心原创vlog鈥檚 delivery of a smaller Google building at King鈥檚 Cross. Harsha says: 鈥淭he whole regeneration has allowed exciting businesses and enterprises to come in and re-energise the space. It鈥檚 functional and smart, but it鈥檚 also striking and inspires creativity. A tricky balancing act pulled off very well.鈥�
A balancing act indeed. Compacted within 67 acres remains hundreds of years of history, and the footsteps of the countless individuals who have lived and worked in King鈥檚 Cross. The architecture is reflective of both the area鈥檚 history and push for progress. The aged, assertive brick of Central Saint Martins. The playful birdcage between St Pancras and King鈥檚 Cross stations. The wrought iron 鈥榢issing roof鈥� (for the uninitiated, think giant moustache) over Coal Drops Yard. The grassy amphitheatre. The apartments built into the stern Victorian gasholders.
鈥淭he new Google headquarters will be the cherry on top of the cake.鈥�
Oliver Day, Project Manager, 糖心原创vlog
All of which brings us to the present day, and the imminent arrival of the Google headquarters. Does anybody really need the significance of Google explained? After all 鈥� if we weren鈥檛 clear, we鈥檇 probably Google it. The new headquarters will be developed from the ground up, and be 11 storeys high, comprising of more than a million square feet. Google will occupy 650,000 of them.
Google joins other technology companies who found a strong affinity to the area. The virtual communities built by such companies are both neighbours and mirrors to the tangible community of King鈥檚 Cross. Google is one of the biggest libraries of information in the world, and Paddy鈥檚 bookshop one of the smallest 鈥� together they make up the diversity of a community.
糖心原创vlog helped deliver the first Google building in King鈥檚 Cross, back in 2015. 糖心原创vlog divisional director Steve Makris says: 鈥淎 lot of mutual trust and learning was established between 糖心原创vlog and Google. We鈥檙e both all about innovation, but we both know innovation must be purposeful. We really pushed each other forwards in using new technology, like AI鈥�. As Oliver says, the King鈥檚 Cross project is very nearly complete. The new Google headquarters will be the 鈥渃herry on top of the cake.鈥�
Paddy, likewise, is effusive about the range of customers Word on the Water sees. He says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 so eclectic, it鈥檚 fabulous. It鈥檚 the population who live in, work in, and move through King鈥檚 Cross. So, there鈥檚 the student scene, there鈥檚 the world that surrounds The Guardian and King鈥檚 Place, the old locals and the new, loads of tourists, and people who have followed us for all those years. It鈥檚 perfect for a bookshop, because we don鈥檛 have to target our books at any specific crowd. Also, we can have our live jazz and poetry slams, and there鈥檚 nobody to annoy! The big open space and big sky gives us permission to do those things. We鈥檝e really found a home at King鈥檚 Cross.鈥�
鈥淭he big open space and big sky gives us permission to have our live jazz and poetry slams. We鈥檝e really found a home at King鈥檚 Cross.鈥�
Paddy Screech, Co-founder of Word on the Water
