Battersea Power Station
Dominant on the South London skyline sits the Battersea Power Station. Built in the 1930s, it is one of the most iconic buildings in London, and has been used as a backdrop in TV and film programmes, as well as gracing the cover of Pink Floyd’s Animals album.
Although now disused, gutted and decaying, I find it a powerful draw to photograph.
So what’s the attraction?
The Battersea Power station is a building of contradictions. An iconic building with an omnipotent presence, but is a shell of it’s former glory; castrated from it’s power producing, industrial past into a current state of decay and disrepair. The owners playing a political game of planning permission with Wandsworth Council.
But it’s presence on the South Thames is a powerful reminder of what it used to be, and possibly could be in future with it regeneration.
As a photographer, I am drawn to show this contradiction of industrial glory and might and urban decay. It lends itself to b&w photography - all of my photos of the building are in b&w. It shows the character of its grittiness and texture as well as its decay. It’s power is now all show in an age of disrepair.
Even such a large and dominant building has texture. The brick exterior helps. You can almost feel it, and can it’s coal consuming past.
The station almost demands you to look at it. It is a bold statement of ‘I am here’ – even as a gutted building. It may no longer produce electricity, but the building itself still has power to engage the viewer to look at it.
Although now disused, gutted and decaying, I find it a powerful draw to photograph.
So what’s the attraction?
The Battersea Power station is a building of contradictions. An iconic building with an omnipotent presence, but is a shell of it’s former glory; castrated from it’s power producing, industrial past into a current state of decay and disrepair. The owners playing a political game of planning permission with Wandsworth Council.
But it’s presence on the South Thames is a powerful reminder of what it used to be, and possibly could be in future with it regeneration.
As a photographer, I am drawn to show this contradiction of industrial glory and might and urban decay. It lends itself to b&w photography - all of my photos of the building are in b&w. It shows the character of its grittiness and texture as well as its decay. It’s power is now all show in an age of disrepair.
Even such a large and dominant building has texture. The brick exterior helps. You can almost feel it, and can it’s coal consuming past.
The station almost demands you to look at it. It is a bold statement of ‘I am here’ – even as a gutted building. It may no longer produce electricity, but the building itself still has power to engage the viewer to look at it.
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