Battersea Power Station is one of London's iconic buildings. Perhaps not as famous as The Tower or the Houses of Parliament, but anyone living in London knows it and loves it (well I do!).

The power station has not been in use for quite a while; it ceased operation in 1983. A prime piece of real estate, right by the Thames, can not lay unused forever. The site is currently slated for development. With such an iconic building, of course the public is going to be wary of any real estate development. The construction company decided to have a few open days to show the public their plans for the site... to get them on side before they start knocking stuff down.

Andrew and I were lucky to hear about the open days and headed out to the very last one. We viewed the plans for the site with some interest but it was mainly just fluff. Too many current buzz words for my liking. Carbon zero, recycling, grey water, river transport, eco chimney(!!)... blah blah blah. (It would be nice to think they really meant it, but they are totally just cashing in on the latest fad.)

Our real interest was in the deteriorating power station. Such an interesting building, in an interesting condition. We were lucky to visit on a beautiful summer's day and the red brick building and tall white chimneys contrasted beautifully against a brilliant blue sky. It was a photographer's paradise. And we were out in force... from mobile phone cameras to DSLRs, I'm sure the power station was captured from every angle. (I have never seen so many DSLRs in one place). Let's hope the developers don't ruin it.




More photos on Flickr...