What a tragedy it would have been if the building that is
St. Pancras International station had been knocked down in the 1960s - but it very nearly was.
The historic structure has had a chequered past, from its heyday in the late 1800s, to its time in the doldrums in the 1980s, to its renaissance in the last decade.
It also performed an important role during both world wars, acting as a departure point for soldiers going off to fight, as well as the place where thousands of children began their journey from the capital to safer parts of the country, away from German bombing raids.
St. Pancras only became 'International' in 2007 when it took over from Waterloo as the terminal for trains to continental Europe destinations such as Paris and Brussels.
During the last decade, in order to make it more welcoming to visitors coming in on the
Eurostar trains, a refit was undertaken to the tune of £800 million. The work has completely transformed the station, while retaining its historic architecture.
Besides marvelling at the station's spectacular design, visitors can also
shop,
eat and even enjoy an alcoholic tipple at its famous
champagne bar. The building also incorporates a plush hotel, the
Renaissance.
More than 25 retail outlets are operating at the station alongside around 20 eateries.
The station likes to keep waiting passengers and visitors entertained by putting on regular live events such as
The Station Sessions, live music performances by emerging artists from around the world.
While exploring the station, don't forget to check out the impressive nine-metre-tall '
Meeting Place' sculpture (aka the Kissing Statue) by British artist Paul Day.
St. Pancras is a station unlike any other, and to quite literally top it all off, it sits beneath a beautiful curved roof, which is part of St. Pancras's original design and was, when it first opened back in 1868, the largest single-span roof in the world.
