The Battersea Power Station, “the temple of power”, is an old power station located in Battersea, London, the first of a series of coal power plants installed in England. It was designed in 1930 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and J. Theo Halliday. The first two chimneys (Battersea A) were completed in 1939. By 1955 the third and fourth chimneys (Battersea B) were completed making the Power Station the largest brick building in Europe. Since then the complex is largely untapped, with many projects reuse failed.

In 1983 the Power Station was closed and the Central Electricity Generating Board launched a competition to find an alternative use for the building.

Piazza Navona Roma Italia

After than the Power Station was closed the local residents formed the “Battersea Power Station Community Group” to ensure that their views were represented. Since then the group has met every month and the community has been extremely active in criticizing the proposals put forward, and promotion of best alternative uses for the building. 

The local people’s plan would see the Power Station developed with a mixture or sports, entertainments, arts and commerce. 

The central block of the building would be available for a range of entertainment, festival events and other multiple activities like exhibition and conference. Above this would be gallery, exhibition space and various studios.

The Battersea A, named Hall “A”, would become a shopping center with mall, cafes and bars. Near this would be studios and workshop units for small businesses centre and a museum of industry centred around the wonderful Art Deco. In the Hall "B" would be a sports centre with swimming pool. 

The plan would be carried out by a community controlled development company through a mix of private, public and charitable finance. 

The Power Station Community Group’s online shopping page. 

Design and specification 

The Battersea Power Station is one of a very small number of examples of this style of power station design still in existence in the UK. The two towers gross dimensions measure 160 metres by 170 metres, with the roof of the boiler house standing at over 50 metres. Each of the four chimneys are made from concrete and stand at a height of 103 metres. The station also had jetty facilities for unloading coal, a coal sorting and storage area, control rooms and an admin block.

In 1939 it was ranked as a panel of celebrities second most favourite building by Architects Journal. 

Cultural impact

The Station was used as location from different registers for music videos, films, videogames and other media or art.

Go to the official Battersea Power Station’s web page.