Cladding falls from Kier’s King’s Cross scheme

Contractor Kier has been ordered to undertake safety inspections of one of Argent’s schemes in King’s Cross, London, after part of the building’s cladding fell off.

The developer declined to say how long the inspections will take or whether remediation work is needed on the rest of the structure. However, Argent did confirm that strapping has been placed as a precaution on the Tapestry building, which was finished in 2016.

King’s Cross asset management director Anthea Harries said: “At the Tapestry Building in King’s Cross, a single piece of facade cladding was recently dislodged. We are undertaking inspections and have implemented strapping on relevant areas of the facade to act as an additional, precautionary safety measure.

 “We are in the process of commencing the investigations and so are not yet able to confirm what remediation might be needed or how long this would take. Kier are working alongside us on the investigations.”

Designed by architecture practice Niall McLaughlin, the 130-home building is located in the north western part of Argent’s mammoth King’s Cross regeneration scheme. 

Cladding specialist Techrete supplied around 2,400 GRC panels which together totalled 9,000 square metres of cladding for the scheme, which it describes as one of the most “distinctive in the King’s Cross development”.

The mixed-use scheme includes bars, cafes and retail spaces, as well as 130 homes. According to Techrete, the cladding design was by Assyrian textiles. Construction News failed to establish if Kier installed the low-carbon concrete panels itself or if the work was carried out by a subcontractor.

Argent is not the only developer to see parts of their schemes fall to the ground. In October 2021 cladding from a high-rise scheme in Woking, built by Sir Robert McAlpine, fell onto the street during high winds. 

Then, in 2014, a number of bolts snapped and fell from the City of London’s Leadenhall building, which was built by Laing O’Rourke. Three bolts came loose in less than three months, leading to dozens being replaced on the tower.