History

Work begins on site and leading architect, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the red telephone box, joins the project. Fast forward six years and the first phase of the Power Station, Battersea A, is complete with its two newly built chimneys claiming the title of being the tallest in London.

1933: First two chimneys complete and Battersea A first generates electricity

As London’s demand for power grows, the second stage of the Power Station reaches completion and with it comes the addition of two more chimneys and a Boiler House so vast that it would be possible to fit St Paul’s Cathedral into the space.

Pink Floyd commission a 40-foot helium filled pig balloon, nicknamed Algie, to grace the cover of their Animals album. Algie is to be anchored between the two northern chimneys whilst photographers snap the picture. However, this little piggy has other plans, breaking free and flying to Kent where he is rescued by a local farmer and subsequently returned to the capital for his photoshoot.

Shortly after it is awarded Grade II listed status, which celebrates a building’s special architectural and historic interest, the Power Station closes and ceases to generate electricity.

After decades of disuse and multiple failed attempts to revitalise the building, Battersea Power Station is purchased by the current shareholders – Sime Darby Property, SP Setia and EPF.

Work on the Power Station begins, transforming the 42-acre site surrounding the building into a new community of shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, homes, offices and open green spaces.

Badly crumbling and ultimately deemed unsafe due to their state of disrepair, Battersea Power Station’s four iconic chimneys undergo a painstaking restoration and are reconstructed using the exact same methods used in the original builds during the 1930s and 1950s. A pair of Peregrine falcons also make Battersea Power Station their home. During construction, a temporary nest is built for the lovebirds where they have fletched more chicks during this time than ever before!

Whilst all four chimneys are seemingly identical from the outside, the north-west chimney has been given a very special revamp. Following The Chimney Lift’s grand opening in November, steam is no longer the only thing rising out of Battersea Power Station…