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A visualisation and detail of Quentin Blake’s proposed ‘wrap’ for the building |
Is this the house that Blake built?
New Journal reveals Roald Dahl collaborator Quentin Blake’s plan to ‘hide’ Stanley Building
AS the much-loved illustrator who brought Roald Dahl’s children’s stories to life, Quentin Blake has shown he is rarely short of imagination when it comes to fantasy.
Yet, even by his celebrated standards, the artist’s latest feat is a little out of the ordinary.
The New Journal can exclusively reveal that Mr Blake is working with developers Argent Limited to make an entire building disappear.
Planning papers submitted to the Camden Council show that he has been commissioned to provide a giant drawing capable of blinding people from the ramshackle Stanley Building South, which stands on the edge of the King’s Cross redevelopment site.
The building is empty and boarded up and, in the minds of Argent’s planners at least, is considered far too much of an eyesore to be the first thing that passengers stepping off a high-speed rail link from Paris see when they step off their trains.
The marvellous medicine being suggested by Argent is a 15ft sketch by Mr Blake, an artistic smokescreen hiding the dilapidated building which will be illuminated at night by flood-lights.
“Stanley South is part of an international gateway and will soon be very much ‘on show’,” the Argent proposal said. “Its current visual appearance – pending the longer term refurbishment – detracts from the quality of environment and world class gateway now being put in place.”
Mr Blake, 75, the children’s book laureate who is hoping that a Museum of Illustration will open on the King’s Cross site in the future, was asked to create ‘an imaginary welcoming committee’.
He has included characters singing and dancing, swigging beer and enjoying food
Argent’s application said: “It is a scene of celebration with bunting and flag-waving to greet the new arrivals. It is an arresting image to make visitors feel that they have arrived somewhere fun, welcoming and memorable.”
The treatment of the Stanley Buildings has been a controversial point.
Not only was there a heated row among councillors at the Town Hall over how cheaply they were sold off by the council to Argent, but one of the two blocks, the north side, was swiftly demolished against the wishes of conservationists as soon as a High Court injunction had been lifted.
The second block is now in need of refurbishment, although Argent said that could take up to two years.
Mr Blake, who illustrated Dahl classics such as The Twits, Matilda and The BFG, was chosen for the job because he had taken interest in a proposal to open a Museum of Illustration somewhere on the redevelopment site.
“Quentin Blake’s work is high profile within France,” said Argent’s papers. “This adds to the logic of commissioning Quentin Blake to create a unique illustration at Stanley Building South that will celebrate and interpret the arrival of the high speed train connection with France, into St Pancras.”
But Argent, in control of the £2 billion overhaul of King’s Cross, and its partners London and Continental Railways, are fully aware that the project does meet Camden’s strict planning codes on ‘wraps’ and they are asking planning officials – and possibly councillors, if a decision on planning permission is deferred to politicians – to treat their application as a “special case”. The proposals said the project was “a unique combination of circumstances, not anticipated by Camden’s guidance”.
A deadline for public opinion on the application is due to pass today (Thursday) and a decision over whether the sketches can go on display is expected at some stage next month. |
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