London’s iconic Grade II listed Battersea Power Station, with its four tall chimneys dominating the skyline, has recently seen an extensive redevelopment. It now hosts bars, restaurants, shops, upmarket living accommodation, hotel and offices.
From 15 November 2022, it’s also the home of the capital’s newest tourist attraction: the opportunity to go up one of the chimneys in what is known as Lift 109, as it is 109 meters.
The timed tickets were £15.95 and arriving a little early, we joined others allocated to group 1 in the Art Deco Turbine Hall A. At the allotted time, we were led into what is described as the opportunity to ‘discover more about the building’s rich heritage, its architectural significance and enduring presence in popular culture through a carefully curated ensemble of original records and evocative media displays’. Whilst it was interesting to learn about the development of the power station, in reality it is there to pad out the experience. However, we did learn that the original power station, built in the early 1930s and designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, originally only had two chimneys with the third being added in 1944 and the fourth ten years later. We were encouraged to rub our hands over a large tabletop touchscreen which showed how energy was generated.
We watched the electronic countdown telling us when we were allowed into the Infinity Room where there was a loud, light and sound show on the walls which again reacted to touch.
Once over, we walked a short distance where we were told to climb a few steps (in reality 34) where the chimney lift awaited. Very quickly we were at the top where the lift poked above the chimney and provided 360-degree views of London. Unfortunately, the time allocated here is literally seven minutes which wasn’t long enough to really study the skyline and work out what all the buildings were.
Once down, the route led through the ubiquitous gift shop with the usual pricey souvenirs.
We chose a daytime visit but suspect that it’s even more spectacular in the evening.
