In October 2022, a major shopping centre will open in London. The former Battersea Power Station, one of London’s first, has been transformed into a shopping and leisure destination in its own right. Discover this historic and surprising place.
Flashback to 1933. That was the year when Battersea Power Station, located in south-west London on the south bank of the River Thames, began operations and went on to supply up to a fifth of the city’s electricity. These included Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster. This performance was due to its size and equipment: more than 180,000 m2 of surface area and four large chimneys. After many years in operation, the industrial building, the centrepiece of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals, closed its doors in 1983. For three decades, the power station was disused and abandoned. Until 2012…
A shopping centre worthy of the big supermarkets
12 years ago, Malaysian investors took over the site with the ambition of breathing new life into it. On 14 October 2022, after an investment of €10.4 billion, the project was finally completed and inaugurated. The former power station was transformed into a huge shopping centre. The site is intended to be a hybrid mix of shops, restaurants, offices and living spaces.
Shops include the iconic Uniqlo, Nike, Levi’s, Mango, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Lacoste, Zara and Ralph Lauren. A number of high-end showcases have also set up shop, including Cartier, Rolex, Mulberry, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Rituals, Aesop and Jo Malone London. Beauty, decoration, fashion, sport, watchmaking… every segment is represented.
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Restaurants, hotels, leisure activities…
50 cafés, bars and restaurants are part of the address. And there’s something to suit every taste. From the pizza restaurant led by chef Gordon Ramsay to Asian, Malaysian, Mexican and Italian restaurants, kebabs, burgers, poke, ramen, tapas and vegetarian dishes, a wide range of world cuisine is represented. Not to mention bakeries, patisseries and speciality juices and coffees for a delicious break, and plenty of lively bars.
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In addition to these culinary spaces, the address is complemented by sports halls, virtual reality experiences, cinemas, an art exhibition, a hairdressing salon, a padel court, a theatre, a beauty bar and even a dentist. A lift also takes visitors to the very top of the north-west chimney, for a breathtaking 360° view of London’s rooftops.
Battersea Power Station also has travellers in mind, with a 164-room hotel designed by award-winning Spanish artist and interior designer Jaime Hayon. The hotel, London’s first art’otel, includes TOZI pizzeria, cicchetti bar, TOZI counter and skyline bar-restaurant JOIA by Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, as well as a dedicated space for an arts and events programme. Flats and offices, such as those of Apple, are also scattered around the shopping centre.
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Much more than a new shopping destination, this ultra-complete address aims to compete with the large Westfield shopping centres on the outskirts of London, as well as the department stores in the centre, by leveraging its solid proposition and its heritage location steeped in history.
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Featured photo : © Battersea Power Station
