You may think of King’s Cross Station as somewhere to pass quickly through when catching a train and most of the time that’s all you’ll want to do. However, if you have a bit of time, or even just want to see something that’s a bit different and will make you go ‘ooooh’ then it’s worth allowing that bit of extra time here.
King’s Cross Station is of course best known as being the place where Platform 9¾ can be found. You can have your photo taken gripping a luggage trolley and attempting to bash your way through what appears to muggles as an ordinary wall. If you haven’t a clue what I’m talking about then you’re not a Harry Potter fan. Just keep scrolling.
I’ve written more about Platform 9¾ in a previous post so won’t go into any more detail now.
King’s Cross Station also has a rather wonderful ceiling. Each time I go into this station, even though I’m expecting it, it still gives me the wow factor.
But none of this is what this post is about.
This post is about a 90m subway tunnel linking the King’s Cross Underground Station with Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard which are the new and trendy redeveloped bits of King’s Cross at the back of the station where all the grotty warehouses used to be.
A subway tunnel isn’t usually anything to get excited over. In Stockholm or Moscow maybe, but definitely not in London.
This subway tunnel is a subway tunnel on a whole other level however. This is a subway tunnel that could have been dreamed up by a 1960’s hippie on LSD.
It was actually designed by Allies and Morrison Architects with lighting design firm Speirs Major and created by light artists at The Light Lab. For the sake of protecting myself against being sued for defamation of character I’ll point out that they’re probably perfectly nice, normal, upstanding citizens who don’t remember the 1960s, have never been hippies and have never taken LSD. I don’t actually know this though.
The entire tunnel is basically one long light wall, supposedly one of the longest in Europe. It’s made of thick, toughened glass behind which sit 180 computer controlled LED light sources. Different artists can be commissioned to create light installations here so it’s worth going back as what you see one month may be very different in a few months’ time.
I’ve seen images of it looking very white, a monochrome black and white and shimmering with rainbow colours. When I was there it was predominantly blue, though other colours made brief appearances. I was a bit disappointed I didn’t see it at its psychedelic best, but I still loved the experience of walking through it.
It took a bit of finding as I hadn’t realised it was near the underground station and I’d just been looking in the main train station bit. In the end I walked round to Granary Square and found the entrance at that end. It’s down the escalator at the side of One Granary Square. Again, not easy to spot unless you know what you’re looking for.
The King’s Cross Light Tunnel has been used for events such as London Fashion Week (it played the role of catwalk). When I arrived a young dancer was striking poses and being professionally photographed just inside the entrance.
I walked slowly through the tunnel feeling the lights wash over me. It actually felt quite calming, not something that I usually expect to feel when in a London station. Could that be intentional?
At the underground end I hung around for a while to try to get a picture with no people in it. I quite liked having the odd person in my pictures as it seemed they added to rather than detracted from the image, but I wanted at least one that was person-less. I didn’t have to wait too long as I was there mid-morning and so had missed the rush-hour.
Then I walked slowly back through it again, this time taking a video.
The tunnel curves slightly so for some of the walk you can’t see the end and feel completely submerged in the lights.
Apparently the design also means there are no shadows. Looking at the people in my pics this does seem to be true.
So what do you think? Will you have a wander through the King’s Cross Light Tunnel next time you’re passing through the station? Have you already walked through it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
King’ Cross Light Tunnel is open to pedestrians from 7am until 8pm daily.
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This is so cool! I’ll have to check out next time I’m in London, I have to get the train to/from King’s Cross anyway so hopefully I’ll have a bit of time!
Yes but how exactly to find it from the “Tube end”, not from the Granary Square end? I guess it’s easily possible to exit the station and miss it.