Battersea Power Station "approved masterplan"

[Floox]

Just seen this on battersea power stations website

http://www.battersea-powerstation.com/

Seems as if they will be keeping the building just refurbishing most of it, which is always good

[mookster]

They are also going to surround the building with ugly godawful tower blocks on three sides, which contrary to what the illustration shows are the same height or higher than the chimneys, which is criminal. The power station should form the centrepiece and be visible from all around, not hemmed in by thoughtless tower blocks and only visible on one side.

And as the company is an Irish one, whether it actually gets going or not is another matter what with the state of the European economy!

*edit* I'll see if I can scan in the article I've got about it...

[Oxygen Thief]

If you can't see it, you may as well bulldoze it, which mark my words is exactly what will happen.

[Carl747]

Oh dear :(

[OliverGT]

If you can't see it, you may as well bulldoze it, which mark my words is exactly what will happen.

It wouldn't surprise me. We're already going to lose the chimneys.

[UndergroundHunter]

I looked at the plans and the virtual modal and quite frankly I think it looks shameful. Its such a beautiful building and in my opinion they are going to ruin it. We will just have to wait and see what happens. :popcorn

[OliverGT]

I looked at the plans and the virtual modal and quite frankly I think it looks shameful. Its such a beautiful building and in my opinion they are going to ruin it. We will just have to wait and see what happens. :popcorn

To be fair mate, it's ruined already. The state of the place up-close is more shameful than the plans.

If those plans go ahead I'll welcome them, as shit as they are. At least it means she's not gone. But then again, with the chimneys being replaced it just wouldn't be Battersea anymore.

[UndergroundHunter]

I agree in a way I'm just jealous I never got to see it in its hay day. I suppose that makes me bitter lol

[Oxygen Thief]

It's still in it's hey-dey, exploring wise. Get in there, it's easier than it appears.

[UndergroundHunter]

Its at the top of my list but I don't think I will get there before they start construction:(

[Riemann]

Its at the top of my list but I don't think I will get there before they start construction:(

they have been in 'construction' mode for YEARS but plans have been and gone in financial times and it always gets put back.

This plan is rubbish, the flats ruin the view on all sides but the riverside.

The only bit I like is the footbridge. But I think a lot of the insides (of which the switch room must be preserved) will be turned into no-go office area which is such a shame. I think it would have made an excellent Covent Garden type venue.

[The Lone Ranger]

I have seen more plans, schemes and owners for this place over the last 10 than I have had Kababs.

All I know for sure is the chimneys will be demolished soon, how they are still standing is a mystery, they are built ontop a steel frame which is severely corroded. Last I heard was English Heritage were happy for them to be demolished but 4 new chimneys had to be built with the same staining, marks and inherant flaws visible on the exterior.

[mookster]

My scanner is broken and the article is too long to copy verbatim but here are the key points:

- A dense network of tall, curved blocks will surround it on 3 sides, blocking out every view of it except from the river with only the top of the chimneys visible unless you're standing quite far away. The view of it from the railway out of Victoria will be lost.

- The developer insists a railway service from Victoria to the development site wouldn't work and instead wants to extend the Northern Line from Kennington with a station at Nine Elms at a cost of £500million, which won't come from the government.

- This extension is key to the development of the entire Nine Elms area, 200 acres of land stretching from Battersea to Vauxhall. If all goes to plan in 25 years time this entire area, larger than Canary Wharf, will be lined with a dense sequence of glass towers and slab tower blocks.

- The horrible tower blocks at St. George's Wharf will be dwarfed by the Vauxhall Cross Island Tower, which will be 52 storeys and 170 metres high. Planning permission has already been granted for this. This has been designed by Squire & Partners.

- This tower will be joined by Vauxhall Square, a pair of over 40 storey towers designed by Allies & Morrison together with a hotel and cinema.

- A 'linear walk' (poncy name for a bridge) over the Vauxhall Bus Station which is going to be rebuilt.

- Vauxhall will be 'enhanced' by other towers including The Octave (Make Architects), Vauxhall Tower (Broadway Malyan who designed the horrid St. George's Wharf buildings) and Vauxhall Sky Gardens, a 120-metre tall 'mixed-use' tower by Carey Jones.

- Moving South and Covent Garden Flower Market will be redeveloped with nine buildings, three of them over 46 storeys. This will join the fortified box which is the new US Embassy. Another Irish developer, Ballymore proposes to create the 'New Embassy Plaza' on 15 acres of land.

- By the river will be a series of towers with 752 flats an commercial spaces.

- 30,000 people are expected to inhabit these new developments, but no schools have been proposed.

- The developers will only need to provide 15% of it to affordable housing compared to the regulation 40% because of the need to find £1billion in funding.

- And as the last paragraph eloquently puts it: "There will be no stopping this development now even if Westminster cared; and compared with all the towers now proposed, poor old Battersea Power Station now seems almost a minor thing. In an ideal world it should be freed from Vinoly's horrible enclosing blocks and made into a museum of science and industry - as was proposed 30 years ago. But we don't live in an ideal world"

:(

[Boba Low]

Battersea sit-in anyone? Be a good excuse to see her in the daylight again :)

[tablets]

Found this today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/12/battersea-power-station-administration?newsfeed=true

I wonder if it will mean the end of that shocker of a development plan?

[adders]

So, who's paying for security at the moment then...

[adders]

Worth a try. :D

... :(

[Muttley]

Lloyds Banking Group who have reclaimed it

Isn't Lloyds part-owned by the Government? Therefore we are all shareholders and should get free access to Battersea :D

[mookster]

The Private Eye was right noting that as it was an Irish company who owned it it wouldn't be far off going into administration then!

I really hope it puts the godawful plan they had to bed, Battersea deserves more.