A Tale of Two Power Stations: The History and Redevelopment of Bankside and Battersea

In the heart of London resides two of the city’s most iconic and unusual landmarks: Power Station (active 1952-81) and Battersea Power Station (active 1933-1983). These immense, masterful structures, designed by the eminent church architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960), stand today as symbols of a bygone industrial era in the city of London. Each building has undergone a unique transformation in the 20th century: Bankside Power Station is now known as the Tate Modern museum and is considered a testament to modern adaptive reuse, while Battersea Power Station has proved to be more difficult to redevelop, now undergoing commercial redevelopment. Due to differences in location, industrial function, and the nature of their redevelopment schemes, Bankside and Battersea Power Stations have had varying levels of success in their 21^st century rebirths as vehicles of urban redevelopment. An examination of their design, disuse, and their subsequent redevelopment – can be used as a lens through which to understand the history of industrial London, as well as London’s development into a 21^st century city.