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Camden News - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 2 April 2009

Lighthouse on the corner of Gray’s Inn and Euston roads

Clash over plan for Lighthouse

Renovation ‘ugly’ say conservationists

IT must be one of the most desirable addresses in the bat kingdom.
Forget a damp cave, nocturnal flying creatures living in King’s Cross are set to have a five-star roost if plans to renovate a crumbling grade-II listed building are given the nod by planners.
Councillors will decide on the future of the famous Lighthouse, on the corner of Gray’s Inn Road and Euston Road, tonight (Thursday). Developers want to restore the facade and unique lighthouse structure on the roof – and say they will provide a new roosting site for bats as part of the deal.
But they face opposition from the King’s Cross conservation area advisory committee, who say a new curved roof with three new floors will ruin the historic block.
A statement from the King’s Cross CAAC chairman, Ernest James, said: “The new roof is a monstrosity, both in size and shape. It is huge and it is ugly.”
The building has been on English Heritage’s At Risk register for nearly 10 years and the interior is so badly decayed that it is too dangerous for surveyors to properly access. Gaping holes in the roof and floors mean engineers will shore up the facade to ensure the Victorian front is preserved. The plans will mean a whole new interior being built with new shops, cafés and offices.
The challenge facing the architects is immense, said Martin Gilbert of Latitude Architects. “It is not safe to walk around, it is in such a sorry state,” he said.
To add to the headache, the building’s foundations sit just a metre and half above two Tube tunnels.
Mr Gilbert added: “It is one of the most challenging sites I have ever come across. It seems to have everything going against it. But it is a striking landmark and we want to bring it back into use.”
The origin of the Lighthouse on top has been shrouded in mystery, with architectural historians scratching their heads as to its original purpose. One theory is that the ground floor used to have a huge oyster bar inside – and when a consignment of fresh shellfish had arrived, the bar would light up the lighthouse so customers from miles around would know fresh oysters were being served.

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