New Master Plan for Battersea Power Station Presented

Battersea aerial view

Aerial view of Battersea Power Station site (© ArX Solutions)
Rafael Vinoly Architects PC and Real Estate Opportunities Limited (REO) have revealed the master plan design for the redevelopment of the historic Battersea Power Station site along the River Thames. Designed and constructed in the 1930s by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the station, which was in operation until 1983, will now be revived as a vital element of the most advanced sustainable development ever built in the United Kingdom. The 8 million-square-foot master plan will provide residential, retail, hotel, and office space, as well as leisure, cultural, and community accommodations on the largest development site in central London. The Battersea Power Station initiative will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the wider Nine Elms Corridor.

The power station will once again be used to produce electricity with a new combined cooling, heat and power plant, but it will employ renewable resources to do so. Surrounded by public parks and plazas, the key historic spaces of the station will be preserved, with key elements redeveloped as a commercial complex including a museum and open-air park.

Battersea view from North Bank
View of Battersea Power Station site from north bank of the River Thames (© ArX Solutions)

Alongside the power station, a landmark «Eco-Dome» and «Chimney» will incorporate the largest solar-driven ventilation system ever conceived, funneling hot air through the central shaft of the tower and drawing in cool air at ground level. This will eliminate the need for air conditioning in the commercial and ground floor retail spaces housed beneath the Eco-Dome, decreasing energy demand in the buildings by as much as 67 percent and dramatically reducing carbon emissions. The Eco-Dome will incorporate a new underground station, providing enhanced public transportation access to the site.

«The Battersea Power Station Master Plan is based on rigorous principles of environmental, economic, and social sustainability,» said Rafael Vinoly. «The proposed scheme creates a balanced mix of uses to ensure a fully integrated urban environment, provides a new transportation solution, and establishes an energy strategy that radically reduces consumption, as well as generating a clean supply through the use of renewable sources. The visual presence of this near transparent marker on the skyline defines a new opportunity area signaling London’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.»

Rob Tincknell, managing director of Treasury Holdings UK, said: «We don’t embark on projects that we can’t deliver. We are determined that Londoners will not be disappointed and this area will be brought back to life in the most spectacular way. It will be a place to live, work, and play.»