Battersea Power Station redevelopment | Wandsworth | Pre-planning

[potto]

also worth noting that the top third could just be open glass

[Bob]

Originally Posted by henry

Lovely peice by the FT guy

Yes and all the other reports are quite favourable. Even the Daily Mail put a fairly positive spin to it. The ES editorial is on its own as things stand today.

[Black Cat]

So will the city of the future comprise giant glazed chimneys? Curious. I believe there is a historic World Heritaqe city in the Gulf with high mud-built structures of 10 floors plus which work on this chimney principle to cool the interiors

[CompayEE]

See new proposal, photos etc. for this site in an article published today by The Evening Standard. The glass tower is supposed to be taller than the Canary Wharf's

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...arf/article.do

[El_Greco]

Originally Posted by Black Cat

I believe there is a historic World Heritaqe city in the Gulf with high mud-built structures of 10 floors plus which work on this chimney principle to cool the interiors

Yep The Ancient Skyscraper City of Shibam in Yemen :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibam

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...maut_Yemen.jpg

[Zenith]

Originally Posted by DarJoLe

A towering affront to common sense
Rowan Moore
20.06.08
Evening Standard

The developer and architects of the proposed redevelopment of Battersea Power Station and its surroundings are not short of cojones.

Treasury Holdings and Rafael Vinoly's plans for the most blighted large site in central London are based on the assessment that what it really needs is a 1,000ft glass tube, the largest tower in Europe, containing for the most part nothing but air.

Why the fuck can we not build something like this? Why not? Why shouldn't we able to express ourselves and the wonderful engineering feats we are capable of. Asian countries are doing it. Dubai is doing it. Even if we question the taste of some of these projects, we cannot deny the genius of the engineering. Why the hell shouldn't there be a glass tube 1000 ft in the air? This project needn't just be 'hot air'. Where is the bloody imagination nowadays. I get so tired and bored of our world sometimes.

It seems to be spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts.

And this is something that can be celebrated.

This tower will sit slap behind the Palace of Westminster in protected views from Hungerford and Waterloo Bridges, calling into question once again the Palace's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is the statement that perhaps sums up everything that is wrong with our planning system, our planning ethics, and our imaginations or lack of.

It will stand in a neighbourhood not noted for skyscrapers. It will dwarf the listed power station next to which it will stand. And it is being proposed weeks after the triumph of the tower-sceptic Mayor Boris Johnson and his planning advisor Sir Simon Milton, for whom this is surely the perfect opportunity to prove their mettle by shooting it down.

Of course they will shoot it down, they are small minded buffoons. The power station is saved in this scheme, when they never gave a crap about it before.

At its bottom the tower spreads out into a kind of gigantic glass skirt containing 2.5 million square feet of offices, the equivalent of five gherkins, in a single structure that would have to be built all at once.

Like Wren built his great cathedral you mean, all those years ago. How long did it take him again?

This in an area that is far from being an office hotspot and which, even with a proposed new Northern line spur linking it to Kennington station, will not be well connected. The current economy is also not propitious for such a scheme, though here Treasury Holdings can reasonably claim that, by the time of its projected completion in 2018, things might be looking up.

True really.

This will not get built.

[wjfox]

My comment got published on PW:

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.as...de=3116296&c=1

[fitz44]

It probably won't be built in its current form, no.
Strangely much of the reaction has been fairly positive apart from the predictable Rowan Moore, presumably because of the tower's green credentials and Vinoly's neat solution of a single large chimney. Perhaps we've reached a watershed in green construction and carbon-zero development where we have to be seen to do something rather than talk about it all the time and even the nimby's are recognising it. It may be better for this sceme to go straight over Boris's head to a public inquiry and be considered at government level. They can weigh-up the green benefits versus sight-lines issues.
As Black Cat suggests this may be a proto-type for future developments - the iconic industrial landscape of tall factory chimneys transposed to futuristic funnels. Maybe just maybe?

[wjfox]

I've put this story on Digg -

http://digg.com/environment/Supertal...ttersea_London

Anyone with a Digg account, please add your digg!

[BenL]

Indeed. From ES:

This is a landmark of London, that should be preserved, before it is lost to us forever. What a waste it has stood empty and decaying and something should be done to preserve and renovate it before it is too late. Surely some one has got the gumption too put it too good use,what about all of the rich people who have got so much money and they don't know what to do with it? Their money I mean, it needs to be looked after for prosperity.

- Maggie Payne, London U K

Here we go again! Yet another plan to save the Power Station is released, but will it actually go ahead? Well bare in mind that the Power Station closed 25 years ago and the land has yet to be used for something more productive other than a film set or a circus then this is probably doubtful that this will go any further than the plans like every other idea so far. Every 5 - 6 years someone comes up with a 'masterplan' to recreate this iconic building. I think it is one of the best buildings in London, but also one of the saddest as well as it has had its guts ripped out and is now effectively orphaned again, as every idea that is raised never comes to anything. Someone said on the bus the other day as we went past that they should just pull it down and build flats on the land as the restoration will cost far too much to do. Trouble is I'm beginning to agree with them as to have a building of this stature slowly rot away is wrong, totally wrong.

- Tim, London, England

What an excellent project if it gets the go ahead.

- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Originally Posted by Bob

The Tories like private cash and will care little about Vauxhall.

A hell of a lot of MPs have week day homes in Vauxhall, at places like St George Wharf. From the Labour side at least, I know two cabinet ministers and one former cabinet minister live there.

There's been talk over the years of forming a body to balance English Heritage in championing high quality new builds which, I imagine given the nature of the society, would be focused on taller buildings. Surely now would be a good opportunity to actually do something about it given that this is a) one of the most important projects for our city and b) the decision won't be made for a while.


Another thing, apparently the developers haven't got the money for it and it's just a question of having the land to develop afterwards.

[BenL]

Double post.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by fitz44

- the iconic industrial landscape of tall factory chimneys transposed to futuristic funnels. Maybe just maybe?

Yes... in the same way that LBT echoes the church spires of the medieval past, this tower sort of echoes the chimneys/industrial landscapes which dominated the 19th century, yet in a futuristic and refreshing way. Wouldn't it be awesome to have another supertall that achieves this effect - mixing the past, present and future into a single iconic landmark... God, if only this could get past the heritage groups.

We should do something, like another petition or whatever.

Let's wait for the planning app first though - see just how it effects the skyline.

[henry]

On BBC London News everyone they vox popped in the street seemed very positive.

One thing worth noting is that most coverage is focusing on the 'yet another Battersea power station plan' angle, rather than the 'Ken's ego tower' angle. Perhaps the presence to BPS will act to deflect attention away from the skyscraper, who knows. Wandsworth might go for it because of the amount of private investment, and Boris has stated that he intends to abide by the boroughs decisions on planning issues. Maybe I'm being to positive, I think I've become intoxicated by the idea of spectacular bold architecture, even though I'm not sure I even like it.

[fitz44]

Good point foxy.
Looks like Vinoly has his detractors amongst his own profession however;

Ferguson: Vinoly's Battersea design is a menace to London
20 June, 2008

Former RIBA president George Ferguson has attacked Vinoly's new design for Battersea Power Station, branding Vinoly a "major menace to London".


"Rafael Vinoly is proving a major menace to London. While he can be touched by brilliance at the smaller scale he seems to lose it on the London skyline. [See the pictures here]

The shell of Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most powerful icons. There have been brave and interesting proposals in the past under the previous owner Victor Hwang’s direction that made the most of the existing building while always respecting its supremacy on the site.

But Vinoly’s proposal for Battersea Power Station reveals an evident lack of understanding of the vital place Gilbert Scott’s masterpiece holds in the London psyche and landscape. It is the height of arrogance to think that anyone could supplant this supremely muscular building with a vast gimmicky tower – for that is what it is.

When I saw the scheme I honestly thought it was a spoof. To me it seems a totally outrageous misuse of his star architect status. I understand that the architect’s bulbous Fenchurch Street ‘Walkie Talkie’ tower which had been opposed by CABE only received their approval on the sixth design review when he turned up and charmed them into backing it – much to the regret of some of its distinguished members.

Architecture should not be about signature architects and the quality of their presentation but should be about the quality and appropriateness of what we produce.

I hope that this crazed plan has not had any indication of approval from CABE or English Heritage and that it will be killed off at birth by both of them and the Mayor. It deserves short shrift – as do its developers and designers."

- George Ferguson former RIBA president

[potto]

glad he is a former RIBA president

[jayo]

Its actually allright-like the cladding -Could anyone show us how tall it would look on the skyline?

[tuten]

On the radio today they were talking the developer, or someone involved in this. They were asked if they though that Borris' anti-highrise agenda would stop them getting planning permission, the guy then said that boris stated yesterday that he wasn't against tall buildings as long as they serve a purpose, and this tower serves a great purpose.

I think if they spin the whole eco friendliness of this project it might have a chance.

[potto]

also seeing as the conservatives are very keen to prove their environmental credentials....

[jayo]

Well,i would love to see built-Still hasn't been updated to skyscrapernews though.

[ferge]

I haven't read through the... 22 pages of this, but after seeing the pictures There's more chance of me being Queen mother than this getting anywhere..

Nice ploy mind