Clothing chain in ‘unique’ yard site
Artist Sir Antony Gormley among objectors to big brands
Friday, 20th September 2024 — By Dan Carrier

Uniqlo moves into a building once home to the Bagley’s nightclub
DESIRABLE designers or chain store choices – the future of the swanky Coal Drops Yard shopping centre in the King’s Cross development is at the heart of a controversy over who the space should be aimed at.
The debate has been stirred by a swathe of objections lodged with planners on the Camden side of the revamped railwaylands after developers Argent’s submitted proposals for a new shopping pavilion in a courtyard boasting shops and restaurants.
Among the opponents was the artist Sir Antony Gormley, who has accused Argent of seeking to turn the Coal Drops into a regular high street with familiar big brand chains.
The artist, whose work includes The Angel of the North, told the council he had moved to a flat on the estate partly on the understanding that the Coal Drops Yard would offer unique outlets but has most recently seen the rival of Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo.
He said: “They are intending to bring in a lot of mass brands, fine and useful in their place, but why replicate here what you have in every high street? This seems to be a complete turnaround on the part of Argent and represents a lack of imagination, a lazy solution in a place that deserves more. We will be left with something that feels sad and broken.”
The proposed shopping ‘pavilion’
Uniqlo opened the doors to a new store in the former Bagleys nightclub this week.
This week, Argent’s retail director James Rayner told the Tribune that it had to think of everybody’s needs.
He said this meant there would be new, smaller shops that every community needs – from a pharmacy to a corner shop style convenience store. Affordable cafes and places to ‘grab and go’ food are also being added.
He said: “We need to be able to offer stores people want to use every day and have an appeal to a broad audience.
“We also need footfall drivers and that means bigger brands alongside the smaller businesses we champion.”
Currently the King’s Cross estate has around six per cent of its commercial units unoccupied – but half of those are currently in the process of being fitted out as new leases have been signed.
High profile objector Sir Antony Gormley
Mr Rayner said respecting the style of the development was vital when they selected tenants, adding: “King’s Cross had a carefully curated design aesthetic and when we opened Coal Drops Yard, we didn’t want shops with big, brash logos. That remains the same today.”
The space opened in 2018 and in the last six years of trading, conditions have fluctuated widely against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic and ever increasing online shopping.
Mr Rayner said: “The challenges were apparent by 2018. It is about how people shop and how they use spaces. People were moving at the time into experiences and retail anchors were becoming less and less important.
“Leisure, culture and public realm were coming more so in how people structured their day out.
“We had begun to see this when we put together the early tenant mix for Coal Drops. We created something really beautiful, incredible architecture with niche retail – and the opening of Uniqlo is a move to help rebalance that.”
He added: “It is part of a bigger evolution of the tenant mix here. We had been criticised in the past for the focus of the businesses and we feel Uniqlo shows an intent to create a better mix.
“We aren’t changing every unit – just gradually getting a better balance.”