London | In London’s King’s Cross district, Facebook is fitting out its huge new British HQ, actor Idris Elba is about to open his suave new wine bar, and artist Michael Pinsky is exhibiting his “pollution pods” – an intriguing, immersive experience of smog levels in different world cities.

Google’s Lendlease-built “landscraper”, apparently as long as The Shard is tall, is taking shape. And only four more buildings – two residential, one commercial, and one mixed – are yet to be built, as the target of 2.8 million square feet (260,000sq m) looms closer.