The experience allows visitors to immerse themselves in the history of the power station before ascending 109m for 360-degree views of the city’s skyline
The Lift 109 experience at Battersea Power Station takes visitors 109m up to the top of the north-west chimney for 360-degree views of London’s skyline.
The London studio of the US-based design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) was the lead designer of the exhibition within the lift experience, with media design input and production from Squint/Opera and the lift design and build by Otis.
Before venturing into Lift 109, visitors can experience an immersive exhibition in Turbine Hall A, which celebrates the history of the Grade II-listed building.
The experience weaves together narratives of architectural innovation, industrial power and popular culture, connecting visitors to the power station’s past before transporting them upwards.
Industrial materials and dark tones recall the look and feel of the working power station
On entering the restored Art Deco Turbine Hall A, visitors are greeted by two screens that frame the exhibition space and feature media describing the power station as a catalyst for ‘Powering Imagination’ since 1933.
Centre stage in the space is ‘Powering London’, a multiplayer interactive table paired with a suspended lighting installation evocative of a turbine, inviting visitors to learn how energy was generated and controlled at Battersea Power Station – once responsible for producing one-fifth of the city’s electricity.
The lighting installation above glows brighter as visitors interact with the touchscreen table and collectively ‘generate’ energy.
Industrial materials and dark tones recall the look and feel of the working power station, while the circular turbines and Art Deco interior inspired the setworks, lighting installations and decorative inlays.
Where possible, artefacts from the original power station have been incorporated, from the busbar pipes that carried oil, to signage and measuring instruments that aided operators in directing electricity.
The experience weaves together narratives of architectural innovation, industrial power and popular culture, connecting visitors to the power station’s past before transporting them upwards.
A countdown signals the next chapter of the experience as visitors enter an interactive 360-degree media space in which energy particles rise and fall, and gather pace in response to their touch.
The first half of the ascent is by express lifts and the 30-second journey takes visitors to the base of the chimney, where they can use QR codes to read facts and stories.
Once inside the chimney, visitors continue their ascent via a second circular glass lift, enveloped by lighting choreographed to a soundscape that conveys rising energy.
A 360-degree panorama unfolds into view and once at the summit, visitors can engage with the capital’s skyline through a graphic ring and QR code-activated AR technology revealing information about some of London’s most recognisable landmarks.
Wilkinson Eyre was the lead architect on the restoration of the power station itself including the full rebuild of the chimneys
During their descent, visitors can appreciate the engineering and architecture of the chimney lift as its details and textures are highlighted by a halo of soft white light.
Wilkinson Eyre was the lead architect on the restoration of the power station itself including the full rebuild of the chimneys, using the original construction methods from the 1930s and 1950s.
Phillip Tefft, Director of RAA’s London studio, said: “Through the careful orchestration of dynamic lighting, generative media, graphic design, and materiality, our design will immerse visitors in the immense Power of Battersea and help them gain a new perspective on London’s skyline and this historic landmark that has captured public imagination for almost 90 years.”
1 Readers' comment