Battersea Power Station (BPS) is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated developments in Europe.
An icon on the London skyline, the Power Station was built in two phases before and after the Second World War. The building’s exterior was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and the interiors by Theo J Halliday. At its peak, the coal-fired PowerStation provided a fifth of London’s electricity. Decommissioned in 1983, BPS became London’s most famous ruin, appearing in countless films, on TV and album covers, whilst a string of different owners attempted to redevelop the landmark. The Power Station was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 1991 where it remained for 30 years until it was removed in November 2021. Redevelopment finally became possible when a consortium of Malaysian companies purchased the site in 2012, with the vision to restore and transform the landmark into a new mixed-use riverside neighbourhood.
A team comprised of BPSDC, WilkinsonEyre (Architect), Buro Happold (Lead Engineer) and Mace (Main Contractor) have taken the design from concept to detail and delivery of this major regeneration project. From the meticulous restoration of key heritage features, such as Control Room A, to bold new structural interventions such as the bow string trusses holding up the north and south entrance walls, the team has ensured that new and old share a consistent aesthetic. There is a purposeful juxtaposition of brick with glass, and historic ceramic tile with contemporary steel. Bricks were sourced from the original brickmakers in Gloucestershire and Shropshire to repair the external walls.
The restoration and new interventions have been achieved without losing the sense of scale, drama and history that makes BPS one of the city’s most evocative landmarks, a building now safeguarded in perpetuity through its exciting new purpose.
Three Winning Facts:
- Repurposing the power station has led to the generation of more than 2500 permanent jobs on site since opening.
- An onsite Energy Centre with CHP engines provides up to two megawatts of heat and two megawatts of electricity.
- BPSDC were a financial contributor to the Northern Line Tube Extension Project which now links Battersea and Nine Elms to the West End.
