The Rockwell Group is currently working with Wilkinson Eyre Architects on a plan to redevelop part of the Battersea Power Station, which has been an unused blight on the banks of the Thames since it was closed more than 30 years ago. Since then it has lain dormant, effectively collecting dust and serving as little more than a reminder of that Pink Floyd album that isn't “Dark Side of the Moon.” (it's called “Animals” actually, but then I'm a music snob) Rockwell's stake in the £8 billion redevelopment, which is expected to be completed by 2019, will take the form of a series of interior spaces that draw their inspiration from the Industrial age, with a knowingly modern slant.
The Rockwell Group and Wilkinson Eyre Architects are redeveloping part of the Battersea Power Station
Superstar architect (and company founder) David Rockwell himself is amongst the team to have designed the lobby and atrium, as well as a separate Market area. The lobby is situated in the plant's old Boiler Room where its coal-fired power used to be generated, and is a glorious open-plan design that will serve as the heart of the redevelopment. Other international architects taking a crack at the plant, which was closed in 1983, and transforming it into an ambitious mixed-use development, include Rafael Viñoly, Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners.
David Rockwell himself is amongst the team to have designed the lobby and atrium, as well as a separate Market area
The atrium, which has been dubbed “The Boiler House,” will be divided into six floors of offices, with Rockwell and his team designing the lower level lobby where workers will arrive. According to the group's website, the interior environments, which “Reference the building's industrial age past,” will have a “Timeless feel,” with walls composed of pieces of coal that will be vacuum sealed in backlit glass panels. There will also be a bank of lifts covered in metal screens that aim to “Draw people's eyes upward” towards the peak of the atrium.
The centre of the atrium will sport a free-standing, two level structure housing a wine and coffee bar, and a café
The space has been designed with “Spontaneous social events” and “Casual refinement” in mind, with this refinement underlined by custom, British-influenced furniture clad in “Channel-back leather, plaid and camel,” as well as supplemental vintage furniture and a unique concrete flooring solution. The flooring is set to “Create a sense of movement and choreography,” with a range of subtle textures embossed into the concrete. The design also entails a “Vertical green indoor wall” that will bring a spot of organic glamour to the space, and gigantic circular fireplaces that will wind up through the building. The centre of the atrium, meanwhile, will sport a free-standing, two level structure housing a wine and coffee bar, a café, and a satellite “Grab and go” area with communal tables along the perimeter leading to a consistently furnished terrace.
Kiosks have been designed in a modular fashion, to allow vendors to customise their individual stalls with very little effort
The Market area, meanwhile, will include food kiosks, restaurants, and more, with a design that's been said to illicit a “Multi-sensory experience,” with smells, sounds and visuals colliding to create a discernible “Warm glow.” Kiosks have been designed in a modular fashion, to allow vendors to customise their individual stalls with very little effort. The open nature of the design also means that trucks will be able to park in the centre of the market and access the market via a goods lift. Furnishings in the area will have a “Handcrafted feel,” with light fixtures even built from hand-blown glass. In all it looks set to be a remarkable accomplishment for Rockwell, Battersea, and London in general.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
