Soongyu Jang Welcome to MORE 2024

Acrocircle: Transforming a space of connection into a place of connection

St Pancras International Station is a space of connection, linking neighbourhood to neighbourhood, cities to cities, and even countries via railway. Additionally, its renovation preserved its historical essence while the building was reborn to meet the modern purposes and demands of a train station, thus becoming a space that connects the past and present. This renovation has transformed the station from a mere transportation hub into a multifunctional space where a diverse array of people intersect.

Despite these multiple links, ironically what I observed inside the station was disconnection: the spatial disconnection between levels; but also between people. In other words, the station enables geographic connection but cannot connect people emotionally or socially. The renowned geographer Yi-Fu Tuan said in his book, Space and Place, that ‘A person’s intimate experiences and feelings transform undifferentiated space into place’. Therefore my project is to transform a space of connection into a place of connection.

This design proposes a performative space. Individuals from nearby organisations like the Francis Crick Institute and Central St Martin’s can present or perform their work and engage a diverse and broad cross-section of people, both invited and passing by. These activities create collective memories for people and, through shared experiences, this station is transformed from a space of connection to a place of connection.