Battersea Power Station London

Battersea Power Station, London

The iconic, art deco Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames in west London is one of the capital city’s most famous landmarks. It is up there with the London Eye, the Shard, and Big Ben, all close to the River Thames.

History

A Grade II Listed Building, Battersea Power Station, is, in fact, two power stations built to an identical design: one in the 1930s and the other in the 1950s. Coal-fired power generation at the power station ceased in 1983. It once supplied 20% of London’s electricity including to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.

The building is a Grade II Listed Building

A classic Sir Giles Gilbert Scott design

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

Battersea Power Station was designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who was responsible for the red telephone box and the Bankside Power Station, which now houses the Tate Modern.

The power station in Battersea remains the largest brick building in Europe and is also known for its fine, art deco interior.

Since its closure in the 1980s, Battersea Power Station has been bought and sold a number of times. However, the redevelopment of the site has been made difficult by the Grade II listing preservation order. The site is now owned by a Malaysian consortium and work on redevelopment has begun.

Exhibition Room at Circus West Village

Circus Village West

The first phase of the development of Circus Village West has opened. The riverside entertainment, housing, and shopping district were designed by Manchester-based SimpsonHaugh & Partners (responsible for the Beetham Tower) and London-based dRMM.

A small free exhibition room at the site presents the history of this iconic building.

Public Opening 2022

Update: Finally in October 2022 the project is complete. Apple (with 1,500 employees) will be a major tenant with six floors of office space in the former central boiler house. Around 96% of the commercial property space has also been leased. Retail tenants include Hugo Boss, Cartier, Mango, Mulberry and Reiss, Ralph Lauren, Superdry, Swatch, Uniqlo, and Zara. A boxing gym, cinema, and private members’ club are further facilities residents and visitors can enjoy.

The project also includes 254 apartments, restaurants, and a ride up one of the chimneys for a view over London in a glass elevator (Lift 109). The four iconic chimneys, in fact, were replaced with reinforced concrete replicas.

The apartments range from £865,000 for a studio to a cool £7m for larger properties. Critics point to the fact that there is no affordable housing in the building which could eventually house 25,000 people. Instead, 386 affordable homes have been built across the road from the power station.

Exhibition Room at Circus West Village

Access – Getting There

The Power Station is close to Battersea Park and its Peace Pagoda, the Tate Gallery across the Thames, Chelsea Bridge, Cheyne Walk and George Eliot’s house, Chelsea Physic Garden, and Albert Bridge. The nearest tube station is the new Battersea Power Station on the Northern line.

The Power Station has often appeared in popular culture, probably most famously as the album cover for Pink Floyd’s Animals.