Following an international design competition world renowned architects Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners have been chosen for the project located on the south of the power station.
The development will include over 1,300 new homes and a new pedestrianised retail street which will be known as The Electric Boulevard.
Battersea Power Station Development Company said that the designs reflect the shareholders’ commitment to creating world class buildings that will complement the iconic Power Station, while becoming destinations in their own right.
The Electric Boulevard will be the main gateway to the entire Battersea development, connecting the Northern Line Extension station with the power station itself, and is at the heart of the new community being created on the 42 acre site.
The new homes in a range of sizes and styles will be located in two zones on either side of the boulevard. In addition, a 160 room hotel and 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space plus additional leisure space will be delivered as part of the proposals. Some 103 affordable homes from the total of 517 being provided across the development will also be delivered as part of this third phase.
Gehry Partners is respected for its far ranging experience in cultural, institutional and commercial projects such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the practice’s home city of Los Angeles.
Gehry Partners has designed the five buildings to the east of The Electric Boulevard, to be known as Prospect Place which will house double height retail units at street level, approximately half of the planned residential units, a community park and multi use community hub. Prospect Place will features a distinctive Flower building and the overall design of the buildings reflects Gehry’s commitment to excellence and dedication to making public and private spaces that feel good for the inhabitants and respect the surrounding context.
Foster + Partners’ projects include 30 St Mary Axe, commonly known at the Gherkin because of its shape, the British Museum in London and the Reichstag, the new German Parliament in Berlin. The practice has designed the building to the west of The Electric Boulevard, to be known as The Skyline which undulates along the line of the boulevard, creating a unique building profile.
There will be two floors of retail units on to the western side and huge breaks in the façade will allow light through to the public spaces below, while creating gardens in the sky. The top of the entire building is given over to one of London’s largest roof gardens, over a quarter of a kilometre long, with views of the power station and the city beyond.
The Skyline is described as a prime example of a multi function building and will house the other half of the planned residential units, including the 103 units of affordable housing in its southern end, a medical centre and a 160 room hotel at the northern end.
‘We have set out to make Battersea a showcase for the world’s very best architects and the designs we are unveiling today demonstrate that commitment in action. Phase Three is an important part of our plans for the Power Station site, creating a new thoroughfare which will be at the heart of the new vibrant community,’ said Rob Tincknell, chief executive officer of the Battersea Power Station Development Company.
‘We are determined to create a genuine sense of place, and developing landmark buildings in which people are proud to make their home and work in is vital to us achieving that aim,’ he added.
It is the first permanent development in London by Gehry Partners and is a key part of the regeneration of the Battersea site. Frank Gehry, founder of Gehry Partners, said the goal from the start has been to create a neighbourhood that connects into the historic fabric of the city of London, but one that has its own identity and integrity. ‘We have tried to create humanistic environments that feel good to live in and visit,’ he explained.
According to Grant Brooker, design director and senior partner at Foster + Partners, the designs will transform the area and create a vibrant new district for South London.
UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey, said it will put Battersea on the world stage. ‘The plans for a new high street for the capital show that London continues to attract the best in terms of architecture, design and innovation,’ he added.
Overall, the Battersea Power Station master plan, designed by Rafael Vinoly, comprises over 3,400 homes as well as offices, shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, community and leisure facilities and 18 acres of open space.
Work began on Phase One of the development, known as Circus West, in July 2013 while work on the restoration of the Grade II listed Power Station itself is gathering pace, with the reconstruction of the first of the iconic chimneys to the original specifications set to start shortly.
