Battersea Power Station, Grade II* listed building in Nine Elms, London, United Kingdom
Battersea Power Station is a former coal power plant in the Nine Elms district whose four tall brick chimneys rise above the south bank of the Thames. The structure spans roughly 160 meters in width and presents a symmetrical Art Deco facade with two parallel rows of the signature stacks.
Architect Giles Gilbert Scott designed the building in the 1930s, and it supplied London with coal-generated electricity until 1983. After decades of vacancy, the site was redeveloped into a residential and retail complex starting in the 2010s.
Many visitors recognize the building from its appearance on the cover of Pink Floyd's album Animals, which showed an inflatable pig floating between the towers. The connection helped turn this former industrial site into a cultural landmark known far beyond London.
The site includes shops, restaurants, and residential areas that are accessible most days of the week. A visit combines well with a walk along the riverfront, as the riverside path runs directly past the complex.
Inside the northwest chimney, Lift 109 carries visitors up to a viewing platform at roughly 109 meters. From up there, the cityscape unfolds from a vantage point that few industrial buildings can offer.
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