King's criss-cross lattice roof crowns station's £550m rebuild

This is the new giant latticed roof that will greet travellers using King's Cross station this spring.

The covering of the western concourse is part of the station's £550 million redevelopment.

The domed roof covers an area bigger than six Olympic-sized pools. The building uses five million tiles and one million "heritage bricks", made in the style of the wartime originals.

The next stage, after the Games, will create the new piazza and reveal the station's Grade I-listed Victorian façade for the first time in decades. The work began in 2008 and is due for completion next year. It will mean better connections to St Pancras International and the Tube as well as capacity for extra trains, more ticket machines and a new shopping arcade. Network Rail says that 10 million more people will be able to use the station annually once the works are complete.

The first glimpse of the new roof came as the Mayor launched a campaign to get people using public transport more. David Higgins, NR chief executive, said: "Our job during Games time is to provide smooth, seamless journeys for spectators travelling to and from Olympic venues, whilst keeping London and the rest of the country moving."