Developers behind the £8bn Battersea Power Station mixed-use renovation project will demolish the the Grade II listed building’s iconic chimneys, with work due to start this summer, but say all four towers will be fully restored by 2016.
The crumbling chimneys would likely pose a danger to the under development leisure and retail project – which includes
designs from architects Norman Foster and Frank Gehry – with a combination of sulphurous emissions and exposure to the weather causing the steel reinforcements in the chimneys to corrode.
The power station is at the heart of the Battersea Power Station Development Company’s (BPSDC) 40-acre project that will create 18 acres of new public space, including a six-acre public park, approximately 200 shops and restaurants, plus other “state-of-the-art” leisure and recreation facilities.
A spokesperson for the BPSDC told
Leisure Opportunities that the dismantling and rebuilding of the chimneys was agreed in 2005 and was always part of the planned programme of works.
“After half a century in service, the years have taken their toll on the chimneys particularly,” a BPSDC statement said.
“Therefore, with the agreement of English Heritage and London Borough of Wandsworth, the chimneys will be dismantled and rebuilt, using the same techniques and materials, so that they will continue to dominate the skyline for generations to come.”
Once rebuilt, there are proposals for a viewing platform in the north west chimney, which will enable people to enter a glass viewing platform and ascend over 100m to enjoy a new panoramic view of London.
Work will begin on first the south west chimney – which is in the worst condition – which will be deconstructed and rebuilt before the same process is applied to the other three stacks.
The deconstruction process will involve a circular rig slowly ‘munching’ its way down the chimney from the top - with debris funnelled down a chute in the centre of the Chimney. It will take about five months to dismantle the first chimney.
Once the Chimney and its surrounding brick plinth have been fully dismantled, work will start building up from the bottom with ‘jump form’ cast concrete in 1.22 metre (4 ft.) increments. It will take about 6 months to fully rebuild the Chimney to its height of 101 metres.
The reconstruction will use the same combination of concrete and reinforcement, although the materials will be to more modern specifications to ensure longevity. Paint scrapings have been taken to ensure the correct colour match.
