10 Lewis Cubitt Square was Highly Commended in this year’s Civic Trust Awards. Judges praised the building at King’s Cross as ‘a new landmark building that creates a stunning civic backdrop to Lewis Cubitt Square.’

Designed and delivered for developer Argent and occupied by Meta, the mixed-use, office-led development incorporates 195,000 square feet (NIA) of flexible office space over nine floors, and a penthouse mezzanine. In addition, a welcoming and engaging ground floor has been created, with a generous office lobby and a characterful cycle entrance on the western elevation to Wollstonecraft Street. To the south, a large flexible retail unit continues the retail journey from Coal Drops Yard and to the north is a flexible cultural space, which will become a 600-seat theatre with an auditorium capable of a variety of staging configurations.

At fifth floor level, the building sets back to afford greater privacy to the residential neighbours, and to improve daylight and pedestrian experience at street level. This terrace is organised based upon the chevron pattern from Lewis Cubitt Square which defines large areas of planting and soft landscaping that create distinctive areas within the wider terrace. The large and generous terrace is supplemented by as series of planted loggia set within the frame of the building – providing a variety of external amenity at differing building levels.

The Civic Trust Awards were established in 1959 to recognise outstanding projects that improve the built environment for us all through design, sustainability, inclusiveness and accessibility, and also to reward projects that offer a positive cultural, social economic or environmental benefit to their local communities. This year 62 projects received either an Award or Commendation from over 250 national and international entries.