Powering up your Shopping

I suppose most people would take the Tube to Battersea Power Station, but I’m not most people, so I struck out on a Santander Bicycle and arrived somewhat glowing from 50 minutes in the saddle! The swanky way to arrive would most definitely be along the meandering waterway of the River Thames, upon the Uber Boat from any joining point between Canary Wharf and Westminster Pier (you’re still in the Central Zone), tap in and out for £9.50 on Oyster or Contactless.

A view of the River Thames looking east. Copyright Josephine Sinclair

A History of Power and Architecture

The story of Battersea Power Station is one of incredible industrial scale and architectural ambition.

The proposal to build a ‘super power station’ on the Thames in Nine Elms was made in 1927 by the London Power Company (LPC). The idea immediately drew protests from residents in nearby areas like Chelsea and Pimlico, who worried about the effects of smoke and pollution on their homes, health, and London’s historic buildings.

Despite the initial opposition, Parliament allowed the development to proceed. The design was a collaboration, primarily featuring the work of engineer Sir Leonard Pearce and celebrated architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, famous for his work on the red telephone box and Liverpool Cathedral. Scott joined the project, transforming the initial functional design into a building of distinctive Art Deco style, which led to it being described as a “temple of power.”

The massive structure was built in two main stages, ultimately housing two separate power stations:

Battersea A: Construction began in 1929 and was completed in 1935. It featured the western pair of chimneys.

Battersea B: Construction started in 1937, was paused during World War II, and was finally completed in 1955, bringing the building to its now-recognisable four-chimney symmetry.

At its peak capacity after 1955, the station was one of the largest in the UK, generating an incredible one-fifth of London’s electricity, supplying power to key landmarks including the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. The vastness of the main Boiler House was such that it was said you could fit St Paul’s Cathedral inside it.

The station pioneered a gas washing process to reduce sulphur emissions. The excess heat that the coal furnaces produced was pumped back under the Thames in a district heating scheme to heat 1,600 homes in the Churchill Gardens Estate, Pimlico. 340 million gallons of water passed through the Power Station each day for cooling.

Battersea A closed in 1975, and the entire power station ceased generating electricity in 1983. For decades, the Grade II* listed building sat derelict, enduring numerous failed redevelopment schemes, including proposals for a theme park. Its condition in 2008 was described by English Heritage as “very bad.”

Its unique architecture secured its place in popular culture, most famously on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album, Animals, featuring the iconic inflatable pig, Algie, which broke free from its tethers, ended up in Kent before being brought back to complete the album photoshoot!

In 2012, the site was purchased by a consortium of Malaysian investors. The painstaking restoration involved rebuilding the iconic chimneys to their original specifications and transforming the vast industrial spaces. The Northern Line Extension opened in 2021, and the Power Station and Electric Boulevard finally opened to the public in October 2022, beginning its new life as a mixed-use destination.

Weaving through Electric Boulevard. Copyright Josephine Sinclair

My arrival and first impressions

As soon as I arrived I admired beautiful landscaping, and this punctuates the whole estate, along with the quality of materials and the care that is taken to look after the built environment. You’ll see cleaners and gardeners in their smart uniforms. I was lucky to spot abseilers hanging off ropes, checking windows.

You are helped to weave through Electric Boulevard with dark curved lines picked out in the pale grey stone paving, blending with the building lines and seating around trees.

And then Wow! The enormity of the Power Station Building is suddenly in front of you, beckoning you to come in.

Abseiling at Battersea Power Station, a well cared-for art deco building. Copyright Josephine Sinclair 

But what if you don’t? Well, not quite yet. Go left up the stairs (wheelchair and pushchair users please go inside the building where there are many lifts) to come onto Upper Ground Floor level and follow the building around towards the River.

You won’t help but notice the brickwork. The original building was one of the largest brick buildings in Europe, having been constructed with around 6 million bricks. For the restoration under Wilkinson Eyre Architects, 1.3 million new bricks were required and hand-made by a team of five men at Northcot Brick Limited to match the original colour and size variations.

I tried hard to spot any new bricks in the walls and couldn’t. What a sterling job these five brickmakers have done, with their two blends for varying the size and colour of the original bricks!

The renovation of Battersea Power Station has retained many features of the old machinery used to power London. Copyright Josephine Sinclair

Nestled amongst the planting at Power Station Park are bright blue electrical devices that were used when the power station generated electricity. Along with a segment of one of the original chimneys, these pieces of historical plant in the park serve as heritage objects, reminding visitors of the building’s industrial past.

Inside the ‘Temple of Power’

When I noticed the plaque that the King of Malaysia opened Battersea Power Station in October 2022 I realised how late I am to the party! With shopping not really being my thing, I loved seeing old components of machinery to make electricity left in situ, yet also seeing how floors and shops have been built into the outer walls of the structure.

Take the lift to the First Floor. I stayed in Turbine Hall A to meet the lovely staff in Lift 109 shop. The Lift 109 attraction reopened on 1st November 2025 and you’ll be whisked up 109 metres to survey the breathtaking view over west London. The gift shop has many souvenirs, from vases shaped like bricks, fridge magnets, oven gloves and tea towels and pencil pots 3D printed in the shape of the chimneys. Of course, there is Algie the pig of Pink Floyd fame!

The first floor has many restaurants and other cafe-style eateries, while the Ground Floor and Upper Ground floor have a wide selection of clothing and other retail. And there’s the cinema too! There is much to do here and you can plan your visit in advance by surfing the Battersea Power Station’s website

In the end, what truly elevates the experience of visiting Battersea Power Station is the palpable sense of history woven into its new purpose. As you browse the luxury stores in Turbine Hall A or grab a coffee beneath the restored gantries of Turbine Hall B, you are not just shopping; you are occupying a spectacular space that once generated the literal power for a major city. The exposed brick, the repurposed machinery, the colossal scale of the twin halls – it all serves as a physical connection to London’s industrial past and a testament to the art of modern restoration. There is a deep, quiet joy in being surrounded by commerce and community inside this architectural masterpiece, knowing the story of the six million bricks, its still visible machinery and the pioneering engineering that went into making this place an icon. This is more than a shopping centre; it is a vital piece of living history, fully powered and full of life once more.

 

 

About the Author

Josephine Sinclair is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide who conducts memorable tours of the Capital in English, German and French. Meet Josephine here