To create an interesting street that would serve the community of King’s Cross, we reduced the cost and risk for new community tenants by developing a turnkey system for independent shops on short licenses which included interchangeable furniture designs and a simple, relatively low cost, flexible lease and license structure based on a turnover model.

 

 

Who is on the project team? 

 

Applied Research Creative Studio Ltd and iya studio.

 

Describe the context of this project and its neighbourhood and people?

 

In 2018 a-r-c-s was engaged by KCCLP to develop and deliver an activation strategy for Lower Stable Street in King’s Cross. 

 

King’s Cross is a vibrant creative neighbourhood in central London. Over the past 20 years, what was an underused industrial site has been transformed and rejuvenated with new streets, squares and parks, homes, shops, offices, galleries, bars, restaurants, schools, and a university.

 

Lower Stable Street opened in October 2018 and provides an important link between Central Saint Martins, Granary Square and Stable Street on one side and Coal Drops Yard on the other. Lower Stable Street is pedestrianised and contains 10 small retail units, a flexible indoor space plus an outdoor exhibition and events area.

 

Our aim was to create one of London’s most interesting streets that would serve the community of King’s Cross and beyond by:

 

providing flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for cultural and retail programming, curating the offering to support and amplify diverse communities

 

nurturing and celebrating diverse creative talent

 

supporting local, independent businesses and enabling long term, sustainable economic growth through our incubator approach to retail and leasing structure

 

raising awareness of the work of local community groups and charities

 

To deliver this vision we took a layered approach to activating Lower Stable Street through community events, public realm enlivenment, exhibitions, an innovative retail leasing strategy, retail pop ups and a community market.

 

How did you enliven the place? 

 

Our layered approach to activation consisted of the following key elements:

 

 

 

We reduced the cost and risk for new, community tenants by developing a turnkey system for independent shops on short licenses which included interchangeable furniture designs and a simple, relatively low cost lease and license structure based on a turnover model.

 

Our flexible leasing model and plans for activations encouraged Voices Radio, a brand-new radio station for the King’s Cross community and beyond, to lease a unit. Voices opened in 2021, they broadcast from the street and also bring their music on to the street DJing at events.

 

Our approach also enabled Store Projects, an association of artists, architects, and designers that drive social change by enabling public access to art and design, to occupy a key position on the street.

 

We applied our ‘meanwhile forever’ methodology to placemaking, where meanwhile uses are a way of creating permanent assets for the future of the development.

 

We created Kiosk N1C, an events space at the heart of the street. We invited tenants, neighbours, community groups, brands and organisations to host their events and pop ups here.

 

We designed and installed a series of lightboxes to provide a free, outdoor gallery for photographic exhibitions, the lightboxes have become a significant draw for the area.

 

We delivered additional interventions on Lower Stable Street such as planting, seating and overhead lighting.

 

We launched a weekend market in April 2021 featuring local, independent community stallholders, bringing extra life to Lower Stable Street.

 

How did you engage the community? 

 

Key summary data from Lower Stable Street:

 

Lower Stable Street footfall data for 2022 is 1.7 million, which is 142% of 2021 figures and 178% of 2019 footfall.

 

The average sales density for a retail unit on Lower Stable Street was c.£1,000 per square foot during 2022 which represents a 20% increase on pre-pandemic levels and 47% increase YoY.

 

Since its launch in April 2021 Lower Stable Street market turnover has grown by over 440% YoY.

 

The community market has received positive responses from existing tenants as their footfall and turnover increases. Over the summer months, market weekend footfall is 22% higher than non market weekends. Market weekends also positively impact turnover in tenanted units by 20-80%, depending on the retailer. 

 

In the last year, two Lower Stable Street occupiers have now taken permanent units at King’s Cross as part of our incubator programme, with another moving to larger premises elsewhere in London.

 

Many of our community market stallholders have now gone on to expand their operations, examples include Dom’s Subs, Tanio Pizza and Auld Hag.

 

We hosted 36 events and 13 pop ups in 2022. Partners to date include: Studio Pi, The Strangers Yearbook, Kate Bush and Blue Note records.

 

We have commissioned and installed 17 lightbox exhibitions since opening. 

 

Lower Stable Street activations have consistently generated standout PR coverage across the full media spectrum.

 

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? 

 

Our goal is to effect positive social and environmental change with all of the work we do. In August 2022, we became a certified B Corp and have been verified as meeting B Lab’s high standards for social and environmental impact. 

 

We apply B Corp values to place strategy development and delivery. Our work on Lower Stable Street was a significant factor in our recent certification. Examples of our social and environmental contribution include:

 

Lower Stable Street market provides affordable access to a London client base for local, independent community stallholders. Over 50% of these community stallholders are majority owned by an underrepresented population and all are based in London. 

 

We provide our events space free of charge to local community groups including Copenhagen Youth Project who support disadvantaged children and young people, and Ablezine, who seek to increase representation for disabled and chronically ill creatives, young people and communities.

 

Our outdoor lightbox exhibitions provide free, public access to content from award-winning photographers and some of the best independent magazines in the UK. We commission creative work from underrepresented groups and artists and highlight the work of community groups. Exhibition partners have included Serpentine Gallery and award winning mentoring organisation Mentivity.

 

30% of the regular hosts on Voices Radio had their first ever opportunity on radio through Voices. The station actively supports artists from underrepresented groups.

 

Our events space features partners who champion techniques and materials that reduce environmental impact, examples include BUAISOU dyeing workshops and the Christmas Tree project.