THE Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has officiated the opening ceremony of the Malaysian-owned Battersea Power Station in Central London ahead of its public launch tomorrow (Oct 14).
Under the custodianship of its shareholders, Sime Darby Property Bhd, S P Setia Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) since 2012, the Grade II* listed iconic landmark has been expertly restored to its former glory with the wider area transformed into a vibrant community.
In 2019, Malaysia’s leading fund management companies Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and EPF became the long-term commercial asset holders of the landmark project.
As part of the launching gambit, the Agong symbolically turned the power back on in Turbine Hall A which had lay dormant for over 40 years and will now house part of the Power Station’s retail offering.
He then unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit with the engraving being a permanent reminder of the strong ties between Malaysia and the UK.
Almost four decades after its closure, the restored Grade II* listed landmark will open to the public for the first time tomorrow (Oct 14). Once a coal fired power station, it is now set to become one of London’s most exciting retail and leisure destinations.
The first shops, restaurants and bars will open alongside unique events and leisure spaces, including Lift 109, a glass elevator experience which transports visitors 109 metres to the top of the building’s northwest chimney, hence offering spectacular 360-degree views of London.
Electric Boulevard – a new pedestrianised high street which runs from the south of the Power Station, between Frank Gehry’s Prospect Place and Foster + Partners’ Battersea Roof Gardens to the new Battersea Power Station Zone 1 Underground station – will also open tomorrow (Oct 14).
The new high street will be home to a mix of office space, shops, bars and restaurants, a park, and an exciting new 164 room hotel from art’otel, the brand’s first hotel to open in London.
The Agong previously visited the Battersea Power Station in September 2021 to witness the momentous progress being made on the re-generation project and to unveil a plaque at Malaysia Square, a public square at the heart of the development.
Since the consortium of Malaysian companies purchased Battersea Power Station in 2012, the site has been transformed into a new ’15-minute’ live, work, play neighbourhood with community at its core.
Key milestones include the opening of Circus West Village in 2017 which is now home to over 1,800 residents and welcomes over three million visitors a year to its vibrant mix of restaurants, leisure venues and annual events programme with highlights including The Light Festival and Summer Showtime which is an outdoor cinema experience.
In May 2021, the first residents began moving into the Grade II* listed Power Station. Residents have now moved into Gehry Partners’ Prospect Place and Foster + Partner’s Battersea Roof Gardens, bringing two of the world’s most prestigious architects to Battersea Power Station.
In September 2021, the Northern Line Extension opened – the first major extension to the London Underground this century – to provide the Battersea Power Station with its very own Zone 1 Underground station and putting the neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the City.
The Battersea Power Station is also easily accessible on foot, by train, bus, bike and the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ river bus service.
Following extensive and highly skilled conservation work to bring Battersea Power Station back to its former glory and futureproof it for generations to come, the building was also removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in November 2021, and practically completed in July 2022. – Oct 13, 2022
Main photo credit: Bernama
