As London Mayor Boris Johnson put it, “The regeneration of the King’s Cross area is simply incredible, with the twin jewels of King’s Cross and St Pancras stations standing proud as the gateways to an almost 70-acre site of new buildings and streets, public squares, businesses, cultural locations and heritage sites, as well as many new homes for Londoners. The stations, the restored industrial buildings, the inspiring Victorian structures and surrounding lands have been handled with great ingenuity, sensitivity and foresight. King’s Cross station is delightfully inspiring and easily a match for the architectural marvels of St Pancras. For me, the Station Concourse is the ultimate steel-and-glass homage to the string vest.”

A mere twenty years ago, the idea that such could be said of one of the grubbiest and most seedy areas in central London would have been judged as cloud cuckoo land.  Against all the odds, the area has become a model of modern city living. It’s amazing what £3bn of investment can do. The transformation of King’s Cross, neglected for many decades and surrounded by almost forgotten relics of steam railways and decayed industrial revolution buildings seemed a project too far – financially. Now energy-efficient towers and premium apartments rise among the renovated Victorian buildings of the former Railway Lands.