Changes include smaller buildings and improved sightlines to the grade II*-listed power station
Studio Egret West has submitted its revised masterplan for the remaining 16 acres of the Battersea Power Station development.
The practice was appointed in February to rework Rafael Viñoly’s original masterplan for the 42-acre site, created 15 years ago, to reflect changes to living and working habits since the pandemic.
Up to 3.2 million sq ft of residential, commercial and leisure space has been proposed, nearly doubling the scale of development already delivered across the riverside neighbourhood.
Changes include breaking up larger buildings in the Vinoly masterplan into smaller blocks, creating a finer network of streets, laneways, courtyards and passages with more sightlines to the grade II*-listed power station.
The revisions are aiming to give residents more choice over how they move around the development while ensuring the power station remains its dominant architectural feature as new buildings are completed around it.
A new green space is also proposed at the eastern edge of the site linking directly with Nine Elms Park in order to stitch the two development areas together.
Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company, said the submission of the revisions was a “critical step forward in realising the vision for this vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood”.
“Projects of this scale and ambition take decades to bring to fruition, during which time cities naturally evolve and advance, and it’s our duty as custodians of a major undeveloped part of the city to take account of these adjustments.”
Battersea Power Station Development Company chief executive James Saunders said the revised masterplan is seeking to place “community and connection” at the core of the neighbourhood.
“The last decade has seen events like Covid-19 and digital integration into everyday life blur the boundaries between work, living and leisure time, all fundamentally changing how we interact with cities,” he said.
David West, founding director at Studio Egret West, added: “The revised masterplan builds on the success of the first half of the Battersea Power Station story, creating opportunities for more homes, workplaces, retail and leisure including a new hybrid cultural venue.
“The future phases will be more permeable, inclusive and intriguing, with an expanded network of playful, artistic and biodiverse public spaces.
“The refreshed vision is also deliberately flexible, leaving room for serendipity, while remaining responsive and resilient to what we’ve learned from the journey so far. It’s about commerce, culture, community and curiosity working in harmony.”
Dowen Farmer’s plans for 200 council homes on the site, an outrider for the revised masterplan, has already received detailed approval and will consist entirely of social rent homes operated by the council.
Further phases on the revised masterplan will be approved separately through reserved matters applications.
The power station was bought by its current Malaysian shareholders in 2012 and has seen over 2,200 homes and 800,000sq ft of office space built along with 150 retail, dining and leisure experiences.
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