Second life: Apartments in Battersea Power Station are now available to buy or rent

07 Apr 2022 | Updated on: 27 Sep 2022 |By Anna Solomon

South London’s (in)famous power station is a true London landmark. After standing derelict for decades, it has now been converted into luxury living quarters, which are due to complete in the summer

Battersea Power Station, famed for its Art Deco splendour, actually comprises two power stations: ‘A’ Station was completed in 1935, and ‘B’ Station in 1955. It was, for a long time, the third-largest generating site in the UK, providing a fifth of London’s electricity needs.

By the 1970s, the building’s equipment was outdated, as was coal itself, with the preferred choice of fuel for electricity shifting towards oil, gas and nuclear. ‘A’ and ‘B’ towers were decommissioned in 1975 and 1983 respectively, and the power station, protected by Grade II* listed status, stood derelict until 2014, with successive site owners musing over the multi-billion pound question of what to do with it.

There were moves to convert Battersea Power Station into a theme park and a football stadium, but ultimately administrator Ernst & Young entered into an agreement with Malaysian investors to develop the site into 253 residential units, as well as bars, restaurants, offices, shops and entertainment spaces.

The project, signed off in 2012, is now tantalisingly close to completion – Battersea Power Station will be open to the public from September this year. However, apartments are ready to view – and sales and letting offices open – right now.

The ‘shoulders’ of the development, as the project’s architect puts it, are central living quarters Switch House West and Switch House East. The former completed in 2021, and the latter a couple of months ago.

Switch House West is located in the former ‘A’ station, and its interiors reflect this; they are inspired by the elegance of the 1930s, comprising dark herringbone flooring and glazed tiles. Switch House East, meanwhile, takes its inspiration from the 1950s, with more ‘industrial’ decor – original brick and steelwork have been retained in the 119 studio, one, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Existing riveted girders have been made into a concierge desk, and some of the electric switchgear has been repurposed for sculptures.

In addition to the historic apartments, Switch House East also offers modern duplex apartments, located in three floors that have been added to the top of the building.

Each new home features spacious living and dining areas, fully-equipped open-plan kitchens, wooden floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and stunning views across the River Thames. Residents also benefit from access to vibrant new dining and retail destinations: Circus West Village and Electric Boulevard will eventually host over 100 shops, bars and restaurants, as well as office space occupied by Apple and The Engine Room, a co-working offering. Battersea Power Station will also be home to a 164-room hotel from Art’otel.

Leisure facilities will include a ‘chimney lift experience’, a new six-acre riverfront park, and a playground. A new Zone 1 Northern Line Extension will act as a gateway to the site, making Battersea Power Station eminently well-connected.

Battersea Power Station has been a spectre of our industrial past for decades, standing abandoned on the south bank of the Thames. Now, Nine Elms residents have the chance to occupy a slice of history that has become as integral to the identity of south-west London as Wimbledon tennis or Richmond Park.

Read more: Introducing The Bryanston – London’s ‘healthiest’ building

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