Granary Square

A large open square on the Regents Canal in the redeveloped Kings Cross Central quarter, opened in 2012 as the heart of the 67-hectare regeneration north of Kings Cross station. The square sits at the level of the 1851 Granary Building, which now houses Central Saint Martins art school. It is a textbook example of a privately owned public space — it looks like a public plaza but belongs to the developer Kings Cross Central Limited Partnership, with its own house rules. The 1,080 computer-controlled fountain jets in the ground, into which kids leap on summer afternoons, and the broad steps down to the canal define the place. Next door is Thomas Heatherwicks Coal Drops Yard with designer shops and restaurants. For anyone curious about the new London, this is the corner to see.