Saved from demolition in 1960 by the famous English poet Sir John Betjemen, St Pancras International Station was re-opened by Her Majesty the Queen on 6th November 2007 after £800 million restoration programme.
Located in Central London, St Pancras is a stunning and architecturally amazing building that has more underground tunnels than any other London Station. During the six year restoration programme, 150 years of dirt and grime was painstakingly removed from the brickwork, the new roof was fitted with 18,000 panes of self cleaning glass and 20,000 litres Barlow Blue paint, an exact colour match to the original paint work was used on the station’s iron work.
New pieces of artwork were specially commissioned including one of Sir John Betjemen who in addition to saving St Pancras from demolition also helped it achieve Grade I listed status. Another statue, an eight foot high bronze of a couple enjoying a loving embrace is situated underneath the famous St Pancras Clock.
Also saved from demolition in 1960 were The Chambers, a Grade I Gothic Building which fronts St Pancras Station. At a cost of £100 million, the Chambers will be transformed into 67 private apartments and penthouses and a luxury 5 star hotel. Expected to open in 2009 the hotel, to be called the Renaissance St Pancras will be owned and operated by Marriott International and will feature 245 bedrooms, eight meeting rooms, a ballroom as well as health and leisure facilities.
Most notably the new central London home to the Eurostar, providing high speed train links from London to Paris, Brussels and Lille and two other train operators, East Midlands Trains and First Capital Direct, St Pancras is also a great place to meet a friend for a drink, to admire the architecture or to go shopping. Boasting Europe’s long Champagne Bar at 90 metres, it also has 82,0000 square feet of retail space to keep even the most ardent shopper happy for hours.
Source:
BBC
Wikipedia
