As you step out of St Pancras International, a 16m high building wrap greets onlookers with a busy scene of celebration. Dining and drinking, dancing and singing, these characters welcome new arrivals at the station.
The drawing is the work of world renowned illustrator, Quentin Blake. The piece was commissioned by Argent, London and Continental Railways and DHL-Exel Supply Chain, the developers of King’s Cross. It is the first of many public art initiatives intended for the scheme.
Quentin Blake has illustrated over 300 books, but never a building. He was appointed the first Children’s Laureate in 1999 and made a CBE in 2005.
Quentin Blake is one of the driving forces behind the idea to bring the UK’s first Museum of Illustration to King’s Cross. This Museum will celebrate historical and contemporary illustration as well as Quentin’s own work.
The installation is mounted on the Grade II listed Stanley Building, one of sixteen Victorian structures on site. New development will embrace this heritage to create a new piece of city with a historic sense of place. The Stanley Building will be refurbished for new uses in due course.
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