Battersea Power Station is the only UK destination to be selected for National Geographic’s “Best Cultural Spots” - High Level Photography
PETALING JAYA: Battersea Power Station has been named as one of the 20 “Best Cultural Spots” around the globe for exciting, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind travel experiences in National Geographic’s Best of the World 2024 series.
The annual Best of the World list is created, researched, reported and written in collaboration with National Geographic’s international editorial teams, which serve millions of readers through their magazines and websites around the world.
The only UK destination to feature on the culture list, Battersea Power Station, the iconic former coal-fired power station in Central London, has been restored and transformed into a mixed-use destination by a consortium of companies comprising Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Opened in October 2022, nearly 40 years after it was decommissioned, over 11.2 million people visited Battersea Power Station in 2023 to explore the landmark’s unique historic interiors and enjoy over 140 shops, restaurants, cafes and leisure experiences that are now open across the riverside neighbourhood.
Highlights include Lift 109, the power station’s unique chimney lift experience, which ascended the building’s northwest chimney 21,500 times in 2023, offering visitors a spectacular 360-degree view of the London skyline.
The Grade II* listed Power Station is also home to 565,000sqft of office space, including Apple’s new 500,000sqft UK headquarters, and 254 apartments. The iconic landmark sits at the heart of a new 17ha riverside neighbourhood, which once complete will have created over 4,000 new homes, 3.5 million sqft of mixed commercial space, 7.7ha of public realm and 20,000 jobs.
As part of the masterplan, a new extension to the London underground’s northern line opened in September 2021 providing Battersea Power Station with its own Zone 1 tube station bringing the neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the City.
Battersea Project Holding Company Ltd chairman Tan Sri Jagan Sabapathy said: “In restoring Battersea Power Station, our hope was always to create a world-class destination that brought this iconic landmark into public use for the first time in history, to be enjoyed by the local community, Londoners, and visitors from around the globe.
“To have received recognition by National Geographic in their ‘Best of the World’ list, and to witness our vision become a reality, is a source of enormous pride for the shareholders and all who have been involved in delivering this special project.
“We look forward to welcoming millions more visitors to Battersea Power Station in 2024 and beyond, as the neighbourhood continues to grow with new experiences, store openings and events for all to look forward to.”
In their round-up, National Geographic describes Battersea Power Station as: “From the 1930s until the 1980s, this hulking brick coal plant provided up to a fifth of London’s power [...] the smokestack-capped, 1.5 million-square-foot building is now a stylish shopping, dining, and entertainment hub.
“Repurposed elements include Control Room B, a cocktail bar amid the dials and synchroscopes of a one time command post, and Lift 109, a glassed-in viewpoint atop one of Battersea’s iconic 357-foot-tall smokestacks. Visitors can stay onsite at the art’otel with its rooftop pool and art gallery.”
As part of its popular annual events programme, Battersea Power Station is currently hosting its annual Light Festival until Feb 25, with seven spectacular pieces of artwork from British and international artists lighting up the neighbourhood.
As part of the festival, Battersea Power Station has partnered with Malaysia Airlines and The Danna Langkawi for the chance to win a fantastic holiday to Langkawi for four people.
Looking further ahead into 2024, further retail, leisure, food and beverage brands will open at the riverside neighbourhood including Mexican restaurant, El Pastor, So.Shell Nail and Brow Bar, the latest luxury health club from Third Space, LIPS Pharmacy and LIPS Healthcare Clinic and Diagnostic Centre.
Battersea Power Station has also been announced as the official London fan zone for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, building on The Battersea Games, which launched in summer 2023.
Travelling to Battersea Power Station couldn’t be easier with the Zone 1 Battersea Power Station underground station bringing the riverside neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the City. Battersea Power Station also has its very own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier and is a 15-minute journey from Embankment, 20 minutes from Blackfriars, 30 minutes from Putney and 40 minutes from Canary Wharf. The riverside neighbourhood is easily accessible by bus, bike, car and train too.
The Best of the World 2024 travel guide is available online now at NatGeo.com/BestOfTheWorld, where readers will be transported to each destination through spectacular photography and reporting.
For more information about Battersea Power Station visit www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk and follow @BatterseaPwrStn to keep up to date with the latest news and events.
