BATTERSEA
BATTERSEA POWER STATION
hails major milestone History was made at London’s Battersea Power Station as the former coal-fired power station opened the doors to its first ever residents following a major transformation to restore and repurpose one of the capital’s most loved landmarks. Homeowners were handed the keys to their new homes in the Grade II* listed building following completion of Switch House West, the first major element of the power station to complete. The rest of the building will be completed in stages throughout the rest of the year, with residents moving into the Boiler House and Switch House East in the coming months. The occasion was marked with a special public performance by members of the London Symphony Orchestra, alongside Battersea Power Station’s own community choir, as visitors and residents enjoyed al fresco dining at the restaurants and bars along the riverfront. A light show with a special ‘welcome home’ message to residents was also projected on to the front of the power station and light installations were illuminated in Circus West Village as part of a host of activities to celebrate the milestone. Half a million square feet of office space in the building is also set to be handed over to Apple this summer to commence the fit-out of its new London campus. Retail and F&B brands will begin fitting out their units later in the year ahead of the Power Station
opening to the public from next year. The Northern Line Extension is on track to open from this autumn, with a new Zone One London Underground Station at the Power Station significantly enhancing the connectivity of this part of London. Much progress is also being made to Electric Boulevard, the third phase of the project which comprises buildings to the south of the Power Station by Gehry Partners and Battersea Roof Gardens. The Power Station – recognised worldwide as a cultural and architectural icon – is at the heart of one of central London’s largest, most visionary and eagerly anticipated new developments, involving the transformation of a 42-acre former industrial brownfield site into a thriving new town centre for London. It comprises new homes, shops, cafes, restaurants, offices, event spaces and more than 19 acres of public space including a six-acre park. Dato’ Ahmad Pardas Senin, chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company, said: “As custodians of this globally significant building, it is with great pleasure that we welcome residents into the Power Station for the first time in history.
“This is a proud day for Malaysia and the consortium of shareholders who transformed this historic building into a sustainable city living address while restoring the landmark and giving it a new lease of life.” Datuk Wong Tuck Wai, chairman of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Strong progress continues to be made across the entire project, and we are delighted to see the Malaysian Vision for this thriving new London neighbourhood now becoming a reality. Congratulations to the team who have worked relentlessly to see this through, especially during this challenging COVID-19 pandemic period.” Simon Murphy, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Thanks to all of the shareholders and their unwavering commitment, together with all those involved in the restoration of this landmark building, we can confidently say that the Everest of Real Estate, which the Power Station was once famously nicknamed, has finally been scaled. “Our Power Station residents join an already thriving community of people living, working and enjoying
this new riverside destination. Following this latest significant milestone, we now look forward to completing the remaining elements of the Power Station ahead of opening to the public next year.” Once open to the public, Battersea Power Station will house over 100 shops, bars and restaurants, as well as unique events and leisure spaces including the Chimney Lift Experience, which will be operated by global events and entertainment leader, IMG. The glass elevator will transport visitors 109m up inside one of the Power Station’s iconic chimneys before they emerge at the top to enjoy unrivalled views of the capital’s skyline.
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Symphony Orchestra Welcome First Residents at BPS - Ian Gavan Getty Images
POWER TO CONNECT celebrates one year anniversary and announces digital skills pilot scheme u
Donations being made to Power to Connect. Credit Benoit Grogan-Avignon
We are pleased to announce that Power to Connect, the campaign launched by Battersea Power Station and Wandsworth Council to tackle the issue of digital poverty and support families who were struggling to home-school and stay digitally connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, has celebrated its one-year anniversary.
12 | Business Connexions
Since launching in April 2020, the laptop and tablet refurbishment project has collected, refurbished, and donated over 1,200 devices to local organisations and more than 76 schools in Wandsworth. Following a successful first year, Power to Connect continues to work with businesses and members of the local community to coordinate the sustainable redistribution of devices to those who need them most in Wandsworth and plans to launch a Digital Skills Pilot Scheme. This will be led by the project’s IT volunteers, who will deliver sessions in schools and at community spaces to ensure families who have been given a device are confident enough to be able to use them correctly, look after the device and keep themselves and their children safe online.
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to Connect Volunteers. Credit Benoit Grogan-Avignon
It would be great if you could continue to help raise awareness of the project and its work by sharing the information across your social media channels tagging @PWRtoConnect, @Batterseapwrstn and @wandbc
