Battersea Power Station |
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LDNiCONLDNiCON is about celebrating Londons architectural endevours and
uncovering the quirky, sometimes seemingly bland, components of
the city. We are not focused on headline city architecture, rather,
second course servings of Londonfs buildings and the spaces between
them. These components represent the mass of the city and contribute
more to the spatial experience than well-recognised buildings in
London - the experience that most Londoners live through in their
day-to-day existence. This is what we are most interested in. |
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Battersea Power StationLocation : Battersea, London What's hot : Its scale and domination of the south
London sky
The Battersea Power Station is a dilapidated power station which stands proud on a derelict 38 acre site in south London. It is an imposing building of grandeur. Built over the period of 1930 to 1941 to provide electricity for an expanding industrial city, it was a leading technological example in Europe for power generation.
The building is characterised in the minds of Londoners by four brick chimneys, painted in white, which tower above its rectangular dark brickwork main building. It is also characterised by its decaying facade, crumbling chimney, huge holes in the roof and exposed structure suffering from the disease of rust. It is now a sad memory of its former glorious years when it was feeding the city with its power and was a beacon of modernisation for London. |
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Through out its life, Battersea Power Station has been crowned with many accolades: as a jewell of London architecture, a monstrous disaster for the skyline of the city, an invaluable opportunity for development and a symbol of corporate greed.
The building was controversial even from before a brick was laid in the 1920fs. Today the controversy continues with fascinating arguments about the proposed redevelopment of the site - supporters of its heritage battling against the potential colossal revenue earnings for the developer. |
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The Power StationThe station was built by a private company called the London Power Company. Planning commenced in the mid 1920fs. They were ambitious with aims to create a single power station with could generate 400,000 killowatts of electricity which would produce as much power as 9 of the existing power stations in London combined. The people of London attacked the decision for it to be built in the centre of London with a convincing range of arguments. The key concerns were it being an architectural eye sore as well as a risk to the health of Londoners because of the fumes created by the burning of coal. The designers responded by incorporating a gas-washing system which eliminated 90% of the sulphur emissions which people feared. |
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Construction progressed regardless of the outrage and by the time the station was completed, it was heralded by the press as a new architectural landmark for London. People were proud of it and it became a loved building. The power stationfs distinctive appearance was largely the work of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. His other notable contributions to architecture and design are the famous red telephone boxes in London, the Liverpool Cathedral and the Tate Power Station which is now the Tate Modern art gallery in London. The art deco linearity of its exterior followed through into the building. The control room was impressive with its panelled Italian marble and beautifully arranged gauges, control switches and buttons. It became famous as a space in its own right and has been featured in numerous movies. |
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Amazingly, even the huge turbine hall had terrazzo flooring. The station was built in two halves, with the first generating sets coming into operation around 1933. The second half of the station was completed by 1941, creating the four chimney icon which then became the famous image of the power station. For it to be completed during the onset of the war when resource and labour was in short supply was remarkable. It was also lucky during the war-time London blitz with the building not suffering from huge damage. During the hard times of the war, people must have identified with the Battersea Power Station as a symbol of the spirit of the city, defiant and strong against the enemies of the country. |
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TodayAs electricity demand increased beyond its capacity, a backlog of repair and the cost of maintenance soared; the operation of the station was no longer feasible and was closed in the 1980's. It then stood vacant for a number of years whilst various plans were formed and promises made about its transformations. A theme park for London was envisioned which then began the public retaliation against corporate greed cashing in on the value of the land and potential money making possibilities.
A Hong Kong developer, Park View International, eventually purchased the site in 1993, dumping the theme park development. They then spent 10 years planning a mixed use development with a star studded cast of architects and designers: Arup, Ron Arad, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, UN Studio, and REID architecture to name a few. Cinemas, hotels, offices, a bridge over the river, a refurbished train station, concert halls and a glass dome at the top of one of the chimneys with a single table for the most exclusive dining experience in London was on the drawing board. 10 years of planning and anticipation was then dumped, again, when Real Estate Opportunities purchased the site off the Hong Kong developer this year.
Now Rafael Vinoly has been appointed to master plan the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station. A controversial architect in London in his own right, it suggests that the troubled life of the special building shall continue. |
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The IconThe building has been featured in the media throughout its existence.
Through discussion groups, street pamphlets and TV coverage, the
topic of Battersea Power Station frequently passes through in conversation
of many Londoners. This is testament to it being an icon for London. |
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