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Battersea Power Station: Art Deco control room restored

James Parsons Restored Control Room AJames Parsons
The Art Deco room has a teak parquet floor and a gold painted coffered glass ceiling

The restoration of Battersea Power Station's Art Deco control room has been revealed in newly released images.

Control Room A was part of the turbine hall in the original part of the Grade II Listed building, built in the 1930s.

It is to be put back into use as an events venue when the iconic building re-opens in the autumn.

The coal-fired power station in south London was decommissioned in 1983 and is being redeveloped into flats, offices, restaurant and shops.

Ian Lidell Control Room A historic imageIan Lidell
Control Room A remained in use until 1975

At its peak, the power station generated a fifth of the capital's electricity.

From 1931, Control Room A managed the distribution of power across London, including to the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.

Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) said the restored room would offer visitors a "one-of-a-kind" experience, as they "take in the beauty of the preserved Art Deco interior".

BPSDC worked with Historic England, Wandsworth Council and specialist architects to restore the room and its apparatus to its former glory.

It said two banks of switchboards had been meticulously restored, as well as large synchroscopes which provided information to engineers on duty.

A semi-circular control desk which appeared in the film, The King's Speech, is also among the original features which have been revived.

James Parsons Control deskJames Parsons
The original control desk, which appeared in the film The King's Speech, has been fully restored

'A huge achievement'

Simon Murphy, CEO of BPSDC, said: "It has been a key objective to bring these historic areas back to life, whilst remaining true to their original forms.

"We are looking forward to bringing a new purpose to this piece of London's history upon our opening this autumn and to showing the public all of the incredibly detailed restoration work undertaken over the past decade to open this landmark up for all."

Emily Gee, London and south-east regional director for Historic England, said it was "a huge achievement and another milestone reached as this exciting project nears completion".

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