Battersea Loses Its Spark

M@
By M@ Last edited 181 months ago
Battersea Loses Its Spark

Batterseanixed.jpg
Pigs might fly

It was always going to happen. The thrusting translucent chimney planned for Battersea riverside and dubbed 'the spark plug' has been nixed. The 250 m tower, designed by Rafael Viñoly, was removed from the masterplan after developers 'caved in' to public dissatisfaction with the scheme (involving some egregious photoshoppery) and criticism from the Mayor. Shame. Not only would the distinctive tube have made a novel landmark, but it would also have sucked fresh air into the development and thence generated power via a turbine system. It's back to the drawing board for Viñoly, who'll have to find a way to make the scheme economically viable without the huge power savings the chimney and ecodome would have brought. Now the pipe dream is over, we suspect Battersea Power Station is destined for yet further delays in its redevelopment.

Last Updated 28 February 2009