South of the Thames, London’s Battersea Power Station is buzzing with energy once again. Photo / John Sturrock
The unloved corner of London that suddenly became London’s most popular hangout: Battersea went from rundown power station to thriving district, writes Richard Holmes
If you’ve spent any time in the United Kingdom, chances are you’ve admired the most famous work of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. London-born, this third-generation architect was the man who designed Britain’s red telephone box, an everyday convenience transformed into a cultural icon. And if you’ve spent much time in London, perhaps you’ll have appreciated one of his lesser-known works, in a corner of the capital that is enjoying a long-overdue rejuvenation.
READ MORE: How to spend three days in London if you’ve never been
Scott grew up in the suburb of Battersea, and when – in 1929 – the moneyed residents of Chelsea across the river grew alarmed at the power station being built south of the Thames, Scott was brought in to polish up the design. He introduced a brick façade, added detailing to the walls and brought classical elegance to the four chimneys, transforming a utilitarian coal-fired power station into a celebrated piece of British architecture that survived World War II unscathed. In the decades since, this riverside monolith of six million bricks, with chimneys stretching 50 metres tall, has graced album covers (Pink Floyd) and Hollywood screens (The Dark Knight) on its way to becoming a London icon as famous as Scott’s humble phone box.
Battersea was mothballed in 1983, and sat idle for more than 30 years, before a major redevelopment rebuilt the chimneys, replaced nearly two million bricks and transformed the former station and turbine halls into a strikingly modern hub.
Today, Battersea Power Station is the anchor for a flush of new energy south of the Thames, sitting at the heart of a 17-hectare precinct that has transformed an industrial landscape into a thriving district of shops, restaurants, apartments and workspaces, including abundant public space and riverfront gardens.
The best place to get a sense of it all – and understand the history of the site – is by riding Lift 109. After wandering through the interactive museum weaving together the history of the station, this unique chimney-lift elevates guests vertically inside the northwest chimney to pop out the top for panoramic views across Battersea and greater London. The altitude? 109 metres above sea level, of course.
It’s a fine way to whet your appetite for the restaurants that have become a drawcard for the precinct.
Start at Control Room B, an upscale bar set alongside the switches and dials that once sent Battersea’s electric power out across London. Today, the blueprints rolled out across the cosy tables come filled with creative cocktails, each offering a playful tip of the hat to the building. The smoky ‘Rheostat’ is a fitting choice.
Hungry? You’re spoilt for choice. At lunchtime head for Arcade; a contemporary food hall concept dishing up 13 cuisines from around the world, alongside three standalone restaurants. Don’t miss the Mexican taco tray, or the Basque cheesecake from Uruguayan street café Solis.
For a more upscale night out, Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen offers elegant bistro-style cooking, with a contemporary menu that ranges from prime cuts on the grill to the signature beef wellington for two.
Out the front door and the surrounding precinct expands across a wide terrace and newly pedestrianised walkways. In winter, the riverfront gardens transform into ice rinks, and to warm up you can’t do better than El Pastor. The focus here is contemporary Mexican cuisine, where a combo of small plates and tacos is the best way to sample your way through the menu. There’s an impressive menu of mezcal and tequila too. A few steps further, Brindisa brings the same passion to Spanish cuisine. Instead of tequila you’ll likely start with a glass of Jerez, segue into Jamón ibérico, and end with a few plates of tapas built on the ingredients they import from Spain. The Monte Enebro goat’s cheese with orange blossom honey is especially memorable.
And yet Battersea is not only about the retail therapy and restaurants. Under the historic railway arches, Battersea Brewery turns out a collection of craft brews – the Session Pale is superb – from a brewery set alongside the bustling taproom.
Wander further and you’ll find the charming Northcote Road Antique Market on Sunday mornings, or the quirky Battersea Flower Station for fresh blooms. But in the shadow of the chimneys don’t miss out on Battersea Park, one of London’s loveliest open spaces. Built in the 1850s, it comes with all the trappings of the Victorian era, from woodland and planted beds to a lake with rowing boats for hire in the summer.
There’s an autumnal hush across the lawns as I wander through, admiring the view of the Thames from the terrace of the Park’s famous London Peace Pagoda. The stupa is a little incongruous against the woodland background, and yet this is a revered place of worship for Buddhists. Get up early enough and you may well find a monk clad in saffron robes performing sunrise prayers.
It’s in stark contrast to the contemporary bustle in the avenues around the power station. Here, roof gardens by Norman Foster and apartment blocks by Frank Gehry bring a modern architectural language to stand alongside this industrial icon.
The redevelopment of the power station is a bellwether for a major rejuvenation in this corner of Wandsworth, south of the river. Just a kilometre to the east there’s a palpable new energy in the suburb of Nine Elms. In St. George’s Quay, restaurants and apartments have sprouted along the Thames, and just one block back saw the October 2024 debut of the Park Hyatt brand in the United Kingdom.
In a glass tower promising impressive river and city views, this 203-key property neatly balances a deeply luxurious stay with timeless English style and a rooted sense of place.
Floral motifs and murals of upcycled motor parts offer a subtle nod to the nearby flower markets, and the Rolls Royce and Vauxhall factories that once stood here.
There’s also a homage to the Tate Britain – one of my favourite free galleries in London, just across Vauxhall Bridge – in the impressive art collection that includes the likes of Ian Rayer-Smith and Françoise Delaire, alongside an impressive installation by Charlie Whinney. Upstairs the rooms feature designs by famed English textile designer William Morris, but it’s more likely your gaze will be drawn to the impressive views along the sinuous Thames, from the London Eye west to Battersea Power Station. In many ways it’s London encapsulated in a single view: an historic building reimagined into a thoroughly contemporary vision for a new corner of London.
I reckon Sir Giles would approve.
Insider tip: Look for the brickwork on the floor of the turbine halls, outlining where the power-generating turbines once stood.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to London with one stopover with multiple airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, often on a Star Alliance Codeshare basis.
DETAILS
The chef chats to Herald Travel about unforgettable foodie experiences in Aotearoa.