Battersea Power Station Reopens

Saturday, 15 October 2022

After many years of on and off redevelopment – the first part of the station (Turbine Hall A) opened in 1933, the whole thing closed down in 1983 – Battersea Power Station finally reopened on 14 October 2022. It won’t be generating power any more although the four iconic chimneys (making it look like ‘an upside down pool table’) were totally reinvented and the north-west chimney now features Lift 109 where for £20 you can enjoy the view from 109 metres altitude. The north-east chimney incorporates the penthouse home of the station’s resident peregrine falcons which moved in over 20 years ago, while the station was derelict.

◄ Battersea Power Station reopens

 

 

The new power station features (or will eventually when they’re all finished) over 100 shops, bars, restaurants, a cinema, apartments (not enough of them for social housing the critics complain) and offices including Apple’s London headquarters.

For me the station’s prime attractions are the reimagined Control Rooms. Of course they’re not controlling anything anymore, but they certainly look the part. Control Room B with its ‘1950s brutalist industrial look’ is now a glitzy bar.

▲ The look in the huge Control Room A is ‘1930s Art Deco glamour’ and it will be used for private functions. Presumably some of those functions could do with a ‘Direct Coupled Exciter’ and a ‘Standby Exciter’

◄ If you look around Control Room A you’ll find there are control panels not only for Carnaby St No 1, but also Carnaby St No 2. Originally the controls looked after power for regions of London and perhaps Carnaby St No 1 did indeed control Carnaby St, long before it became the symbol of ‘60s Swinging London fashion. Carnaby St No 2, however, was the code name for Buckingham Palace.