Battersea Power Station is acknowledged by all Londoners and visitors to London as a landmark building, a structure to rival St Paul’s Cathedral in its scale, grandeur and beauty. It was in fact originally described as a “temple of power”. Unfortunately, it has for three decades fallen into a state of serious disrepair and repeated attempts by developers to buy it and breathe life back into it have failed. Now, finally, it is being restored, and is on track to becoming one of the most exciting destinations in London, where thousands of people will live, work and play. The centre point of the whole new development will, of course, be the magnificent restored Gilbert Scott building itself, which will house apartments, restaurants, hotels, shops and cinemas.
Meanwhile, during the building phase, the power station and its environs present one of the most rewarding areas of London to photograph people and buildings. There is much more to it than the four great chimneys, interesting and iconic though they are. The 1930s brickwork for example is rich, textured and organic and the numerous reminders of an earlier period of heavy industrial structures and tools makes for fascinating urban photography.
If you are visiting London, please make sure it is added to your list of top three places to visit. You will not be disappointed.
I hope to return many times in the coming months and years to watch the station come alive, but here are my first images, taken today in bright summer sunshine with my Leica M9 and a Zeiss Planar 50mm lens.
View from the East
1930s Brickwork
Window and stairs
On top
From the riverbank
Mesh
Where I shouldn’t have been
Be First to Comment