In the latest example of what seems to be a growing trend, another architect has drawn up a bold new blueprint for Battersea Power Station.
The firm Allies & Morrison were contacted last year by Save Britain's Heritage to plan a new redevelopment for the crumbling riverside building. Their proposal is to convert the Boiler House into an 11,000-seater stadium for hosting concerts and events, and transform the Turbine Halls into exhibition halls. The land beyond the power station's perimeter would be earmarked for new housing.
Late last year another architect, Terry Farrell, proposed the partial demolition of the side walls, creating a colonnade leading into a new urban park. The site, which is to be sold on the open market after the collapse of the firm behind the most recent high-profile redevelopment scheme, is also favoured by Chelsea as the location of their planned new stadium.
The Allies & Morrison proposal has some merit, and a practice that has experience in upgrading sensitive buildings (they were behind the 2007 refurbishment of Royal Festival Hall) would be a good fit for Battersea. But with so much competition, whether they'll get the opportunity is another matter.
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