Central Saint Martins to expand King’s Cross campus

The King’s Cross Group has agreed a new lease with University of the Arts London (UAL), which will see Central Saint Martins (CSM) expand its campus by 17,782 sq ft into the neighbouring Western Transit Shed.

The deal strengthens the globally renowned creative institution’s presence at King’s Cross, where it has been based since 2011, and will enable CSM to bring more of its staff and student community together on its King’s Cross campus – one step closer to its ambition of having its whole community on one site.

CSM’s ethos is that cross-pollination between disciplines matters as much as disciplinary depth: an architecture student learning alongside a material innovator or graphic designer has a different experience to one studying their discipline in isolation. This expansion allows more collaboration between experts and practitioners, something CSM believes is key to solving the challenges facing the world.

It will also bring new educational use to a historic building and highlights King’s Cross’s approach to adapting such buildings to meet occupiers’ changing needs, while retaining the heritage that gives the neighbourhood its character.

The expansion builds on the distinctive character of King’s Cross, where thousands of students, staff and emerging creative talent bring energy and ideas to the neighbourhood. It further strengthens the area’s world-renowned innovation ecosystem, where creativity and education sit alongside technology, science, culture and global businesses including Universal Music and Havas.

UAL will take 17,782 sq ft across part of the first floor and second floor of the recently refurbished Western Transit Shed South.

Henry Shearer, Head of Offices and Investment at The King’s Cross Group, said: “Central Saint Martins has been part of the fabric of what makes King’s Cross such a distinctive place. Its students, staff and emerging talent bring an incredible creative energy to the neighbourhood, which reaches far beyond the university campus.

“What makes King’s Cross distinctive is the mix of people and organisations that call it home. Education and creativity sit alongside global businesses, emerging companies and cultural institutions. That creates a world-class place where different disciplines, talent and ideas can come together, and where knowledge and ideas can flow between them.”

Professor Rathna Ramanathan, Provost of Central Saint Martins and Executive Dean of Global Affairs, UAL, said: “Central Saint Martins arrived at King's Cross in 2011, and we have been a cultural anchor for the area ever since. We are proud to have contributed to the neighbourhood’s emergence as one of London's leading creative and knowledge districts. Our expansion into the Western Transit Shed deepens not only our roots in King's Cross, but also our ambition for what creative education can contribute to communities, culture and the creative economy.”

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