From Pink Floyd album cover to an urban public space: the history of Battersea Power Station iconic

Credit: Collage: The London Picture Archive, Wikimedia Commons

There are two versions of London’s skyline, the one we all know, which appears on travel guides, and the one Londoners love the most. The second version, apart from St Paul’s cathedral, includes another popular temple, the “temple of power”, as many used to describe it back in the thirties: iconic Battersea Power Station.

The station is not only Grade II listed but has also become one of the best known landmarks in London and all over the world. Some attribute its world success to its appearance on Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals, others, to its vast size and its painstaking design -its interior is decorated with Art Deco fittings and decor-.

However it may be, Battersea tower’s silhouette has now become an unquestionable part of London’s skyline. Many see it as part of London, as a familiar part of the landscape, as a representation of what London is.

But Battersea hasn’t escaped from controversies: plans to redevelop the iconic building have re-opened the debate on historical architecture.

Works to transform Battersea into a complex of retail space, offices and luxury villas have already begun, with oppositors claiming iconic buildings such as Battersea shouldn’t be modified, replaced or turned into luxury hubs.

Leaving debates aside, Battersea Power station has had an eventful life. Here are the key dates in the life of beloved London’s “temple of power”.

1930 - Construction of Battersea Power Station begins

1934 - First two towers are completed, as the original design included just two chimneys

1953 - The other two towers are added

1965 - Battersea appears in the Beatles’ movie, Help!

1977- Pink Floyd releases the album Animals, whose cover features an inflatable pig flying over the station. Battersea’s popularity grows.

1980 - An unexploded bomb is found underneath the station.

1983 - The station closes its doors permanently

1984 - A plan for the conversion of the station into a leisure complex is unveiled by John Broome, Alton Towers Chairman.

2011- An inflatable pig flies over the station recreating famous Pink Floyd’s album cover.

2012 - Battersea is put up for sale on the open market for the first time in history.

2012 - Works to transform Battersea into a complex of retail space, offices and luxury villas begin.