After being closed to the public for 20 years, Battersea Power Station is briefly open, on the pretext of showing installation art from China.
It was built in the early 1930s and had one turbine hall and a big room with the boilers where the coal was burnt to make the electricity. Then in the early 50s the bit on the right was added, such was the need for power. By the 80s coal was seen as a dirty, expensive fuel (and wasn't there some bother with the stroppy miners in the 70s?) so the power station was closed. It was sold for redevelopment and the turbines were sold for scrap and the roof of the central hall taken out, and then there was a change of plan -- so it's just been sitting there, an empty shell.
This was just about the only bit of machinery left, in the accessible areas anyway.
Every exhibition needs a shop. Here, goods were displayed in the FedEx and DHL cartons they'd been shipped in from China. (Translation: I buy, therefore I am.)
And there has to be a cafe - this one put up by Yauatcha with gorgeous cakes. Lesley and I looked longingly but resisted.
If you want to see actual turbines, go to Wapping - the old power station now has the inevitable restaurant, but also art exhibitions and turbines left in place.
It was built in the early 1930s and had one turbine hall and a big room with the boilers where the coal was burnt to make the electricity. Then in the early 50s the bit on the right was added, such was the need for power. By the 80s coal was seen as a dirty, expensive fuel (and wasn't there some bother with the stroppy miners in the 70s?) so the power station was closed. It was sold for redevelopment and the turbines were sold for scrap and the roof of the central hall taken out, and then there was a change of plan -- so it's just been sitting there, an empty shell.
This was just about the only bit of machinery left, in the accessible areas anyway.
Every exhibition needs a shop. Here, goods were displayed in the FedEx and DHL cartons they'd been shipped in from China. (Translation: I buy, therefore I am.)
And there has to be a cafe - this one put up by Yauatcha with gorgeous cakes. Lesley and I looked longingly but resisted.
If you want to see actual turbines, go to Wapping - the old power station now has the inevitable restaurant, but also art exhibitions and turbines left in place.
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