A derelict wasteland is transformed into a luxury London destination in the Battersea Park Power Station redevelopment

The iconic Battersea Park Power Station in London has had a 9 billion pound redevelopment. It had been a derelict wasteland and is now transformed into a luxury London destination to work, live, shop and play with the redevelopment of the 42 acre site in London on the Thames River.  

This has been regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative mix use neighborhood developments in the world. It opened to the public on 14 October 2022. There is a unique blend of shops, bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, parks, historical spaces, offices, residential homes, apartments buildings with roof top gardens and hotel facilities. It has created spaces for for residents, locals and tourists. It includes the biggest brick building in the world.

This is an example of what is called a "Brownfield" development which is a development of a site previously used for industrial or commercial purposes, whereas a "Greenfields development" is building on previously undeveloped land.

The Battersea Park Power Station is 80 years old on the banks of the Thames and is located a mile from Buckingham Place. It had been shut down for about 40 years, decommissioned in 1960.   It has been called a "national treasure", a "global icon", " a Cathedral to Power" and a "Temple of Power".

The Battersea Park Power Station is Grade II Star listed building (listed in 1980) that had been decommissioned and shut down in 1983 when its technology became out of date.

                                                 @Dreamstime: Photo of the Power station before its renovation and redevelopment.

It sits on 42 acres of land of what is prime real estate by the Thames river. It is located next to the Battersea Park. This was regarded as an "opportunity area" for redeveloping a neighbourhood. 

The power station had powered half of london including Buckingham Place. It had been used in its abandoned state occasionally as a venue in movies such as in Batman, Doctor Who and "Fast & Furious 6" and many others.

At one point the power station had been considered for an amusement theme park redevelopment during the Margaret Thatcher era in the 1980s. (For the history of the efforts to redevelop the site see the linked video "Battersea Power Station - the London Programme", by Treeshaveears").

The Battersea Power Station is a building that is important to Londoners. Pink Floyd once flew a pink pig balloon over it and put a photo of it on an album cover.

The proposed redevelopment in the 1980's didn't proceed. The redevelopment had to wait until the 21st century and the opening event was on 14 October 2022. The groundbreaking to start the construction of the development was 8 years ago for Stage I in what was said to be a partnership between Malaysia and the UK government supported by a group of investors.

The Battersea Park Power Station development area development has been a success with 94 percent sold and has been transformational. The Battersea area is still in transition, with old estate buildings across the road. 

Half of the 42 acres has been developed as green space in this new mix use re-development.

 
The developers spent 300 million pounds to develop its own Battersea Park Power Station underground line Tube Station to make the development convenient to to access involving an extension to the northern line. There is also an uber boat on the Thames with wharf access to this development.

The Battersea Park power station has been redeveloped into a mix use development of apartments, terraced residences  and villas housing 4000 people with services that include a 24 hour concierge desk with a residents lounge (as well as 18 luxurious sky villas with rooftop terraces with 360 degree views of london and an exclusive communal roof garden), commercial offices (including housing the London head offices for Apple), boutique shops, restaurants and bars and a internal shopping centre plus theaters, cinemas and a hotel with transport links. Lovely art deco features abound around the development complex. 

The redevelopment is of British cultural landmark heritage with its distinctive facade has lead to a regeneration in London. 

Watch the YouTube Video below entitled: '"World's Best Project - Battersea Power Station", by The Property Congress (4.28 minutes). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L77mOMqiYM&t=4s&ab_channel=ThePropertyCongress.

Only 254 of the apartments are in th Power Station itself the balance of the homes are in new construction on the site. 

There is a mixture of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments. They all honor the "rich history of the building" and add contemporary touches. 

Features include bare brick walls, original iron pillars, modern kitchens and comfort cooling etc. There is a balance between the industrial and the modern with luxurious and stylish interiors. 

There is a communal rooftop garden that can grow food shared by all residents. It has the largest central shopping mall in London in its complex. 

Apple is moving into offices there with 3000 plus employees. 

It is a quality development in conjunction with the new tube line which increases values and it is considered as a good investment. 

 An average apartment costs around 3/4 of a million pounds or more to over 9 million pounds. Studio apartments start for sale from 865,000 pounds and rent from 575 pounds per week. There are duplex loft style one bedroom apartments selling for well over a million pounds. Loft style apartments from listing prices of 1,650.00 pounds, 2 bedroom from 2,200,000 pounds and 2.5 bedroom apartments from 2,800.00 million pounds, plus more expensive 3 bedroom (with 4 bathrooms) and 4 bedroom apartments, penthouses and sky villas from 9 million pounds which have 360 degree views of London, private residential garden occupying 2,761 sq ft of internal space and 2,164 sq ft of outdoor space.

The decor is lovely, a choice of either modern lines with heritage period features or art deco with heritage features such as the original brick and high ceilings. The internal features and colours palette match the Power Station with "respectful gestures" including in the space and design of door handles.

As well as the redevelopment of the Power Station itself there is also new construction of towers for apartments in the substantial complex with green space and park access. 

See Youtube Video: "Battersea Power Station Roof Gardens", by Battersea Power Station Official (14.15minutes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLb6CBToYE&ab_channel=BatterseaPowerStationOfficial. 

There is a "curated village atmosphere" which has been developed and it is a cohesive environment and has a feel of a "vibrant community".

This is not affordable housing.

See Youtube video: "Inside the new Battersea Power Station", by Crown Home (CHBL) - Luxuary London Properties. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCzldjcm5bw&ab_channel=CrownHome%28CHBL%29-LuxuryLondonProperties. 

The Battersea Park Power Station area is has transformed with the expensive redevlovelopment of the area to uplift and gentrify the derelict power station with its 42 acres to create a live, work, play, recreational area and a shopping destination accessible by catching the tube or by ferry. It is a luxury district development.

Watch the Youtube Video: "Battersea Power Station - Our Story with simplified chinese subtitles, by Savills Singapore (5.57 minutes).

     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JAoHWsvL-s&ab_channel=SavillsSingapore.

Then there is other world of the nearby existing affordable housing area as it is. The locals have not been keen on redeveloping the abandoned 42 acres of waste land, wanting more affordable housing instead.

The Malaysian developer did a good job of the development and creating a beautiful development that adds value to London city and added 4000 new housing creating a new community centre that allows for a healthy luxurious lifestyle near the park.

The new development is certainly much nicer than the 1980s housing estates in Battersea.

The designers from Foster and Partners developed roofspace to become landscape space.

The reality is that this development saved the delertic historic heritage graded building into something new, added a new town centre and created a village for people to work, live and play in.

The developments has added significant green space and housing.

It has brought in employment not just for construction of the development up for the new offices and shops and created a lovely neighbourhood.

However this power station redevelopment is not for ordinary people but for people with wealth to live in .See the Youtube video from BIM  for a full discussion on the issues and the views of the nearby local battersea residents who seek affordable nice housing. 

See YouTube Video: "This Old Power Station is Now a 9 B pound Luxury District", by B1M (31.28 minutes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nzzUmhs2rc&t=960s&ab_channel=TheB1M.

As for what to do about affordable housing and social housing and how to develop this so that also has luxury feel to it is another topic for another blog.

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by, Karen K Harding

 

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