Industrial Warehouse-Style Shopping Centers

As brutalist movements and industrial styles in architecture are steadily being revived, edgy contemporary buildings find their roots in converted warehouses. One such project is the newly finished shopping center in London's King Cross. Heatherwick Studio took control over two coal warehouses that were in use in the 19th century. The volumes are connected through a "sinuous roof, designed to make it look like the old buildings were physically stretched towards each other." The new complex is dubbed 'Coal Drops Yard' — a definite nod to the converted warehouses, and boasts a line-up of shops and restaurants.

Heatherwick Studio's shopping center is an example of the rustic charm contained in industrial historic buildings. The clash between contemporary and traditional settings has, without a doubt, a striking presence.

Photo Credits: Hufton+Crow, Luke Hayes