The master plan for the Battersea Power Station - a
Grade-II listed, large former electric power plant along The River Thames - aims to create a mixed-use sustainable development offering commercial and
retail functions as well as residential, cultural, and event spaces
interspersed with community facilities and a zero-carbon energy plant for the
adaptive reuse of the power station itself. The iconic historic structure of the Power Station functions
as the focal point of the site's regeneration, which aims to create a
self-sufficient and vibrant new community serving as the anchor of the
Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea Opportunity Area.The primary design goal is to reinforce the presence of
the Power Station as the main architectural feature of the site by setting it
in a formal space ("The Circle") defined by a reflecting pool and open to views
to and from the Thames River and its north bank. Further, accessibility to the site is increased by creating
three primary streets that link the Power Station to the site's southern
perimeter and through to a future extension of the waterfront park and river walk.The architectural vocabulary of the complex is defined by
a series of varied typologies that reflect the different character areas of the
public realm. In the tradition of
the London terrace housing typology, the approach sequence to the Power Station
is defined by curving building fades that are further activated by a varied
alignment of the floors to create deep, open terraces for the residential
units. This re-interpretation of the terrace building type provides a dynamic
condition to the fade plane and guides circulation as residents and visitors
progress toward the waterfront.Given the phased nature of a development of this scale,
the master plan provides a set of design guidelines that establish different
degrees of prescription of the design according to the sensitivities of
different areas of the site, with the most detailed guidelines pertaining to
the architecture and setting of the heritage building."The Battersea Power Station Master Plan is based on
rigorous principles of environmental, economic, and social sustainability,"
says Rafael Viñoly. "The proposed scheme creates a balanced mix of uses to
ensure a fully integrated urban environment, provides a new transportation
solution, and establishes an energy strategy that radically reduces
consumption, as well as generating a clean supply through the use of renewable
sources. The visual presence of the Chimney, a near-transparent marker on the
skyline, defines a new opportunity area signaling London's commitment to
innovation and sustainability."
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