Apple to house 1,400 employees at London's restored Battersea Power Station starting in 2021

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Consolidating a number of offices around London, Apple plans to open a new British headquarters inside an iconic decommissioned power station on the south bank of the River Thames.







The Battersea Power Station was first built in the 1930s, and though it stopped generating electricity as of 1983, the massive facility remains iconic. As such, developers are working to restore the giant brick building with four massive chimneys, which was featured on the cover of the Pink Floyd album Animals and was also featured in the film Help by The Beatles.



Apple currently has eight different offices around London, but the new Battersea Power Station site will allow the company to consolidate them and house 1,400 employees in the new London campus, according to the Evening Standard.



In a statement to the paper, Apple said the facility will open in 2021, and expressed excitement for calling home "one of the city's best-known landmarks." Apple will reportedly occupy all six floors of office space inside of the so-called "cathedral of power."



"This is a great opportunity to have our entire team working and collaborating in one location, while supporting the renovation of a neighborhood with rich history," the company said.



In addition to a significant corporate presence, Apple also has five retails stores in London, and the company hosts the annual Apple Music Festival in London's iconic Roundhouse venue. Last year, Apple invested in the Roundhouse, giving it an eco-friendly makeover with improvements to lighting, plumbing, HVAC, and the installation of recycling and composition bins.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    Is this the place Chelsea tried to buy to build their new stadium?
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 2 of 46
    JanNLJanNL Posts: 327member
    What a building, beautiful!
  • Reply 3 of 46
    They are taking over the Tate Modern?!   :)
  • Reply 4 of 46
    Ironic that Apple will live inside of a building that once polluted the environment and [aim to] operate a zero-impact business?
    jony0
  • Reply 5 of 46
    Maybe Apple will have the smokestacks converted to a massive Beats sound system.
  • Reply 6 of 46
    They are taking over the Tate Modern?!   :)
    Not sure if sarcasm but it talks about Battersea, not Bankside. Different power stations on the same river in the same city. 
  • Reply 7 of 46
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member
    There have been numerous attempts over the years to redevelop this building and the associated land.  I'm unclear which plan has won out, but I think the master plan by architect Rafael Viñoly is the most recent.  There also was announced a housing addition by Frank Gehry and Foster Associates.  I assume that if Apple has plans for officing here, it must finally have gotten off the ground.

    Here are some of the articles I found on Dezeen about Battersea plans. Some are wacky: http://www.dezeen.com/tag/battersea-power-station/





    edited September 2016
  • Reply 8 of 46
    matrix077 said:
    Is this the place Chelsea tried to buy to build their new stadium?
    It was, yes. IIRC, it was rejected/ditched because the building would have been altered too much (retractable roof etc.)
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 9 of 46


    Artist's impression of the building/site once fully completed in circa 2021. Apple will lease 6 floors of the available office space. 
  • Reply 10 of 46
    Knew I'd seen this somewhere before. Doctor Who, 2006, 'Rise of the Cybermen' and 'The Age of Steel.' If the episodes showed Cybermen being built here, then maybe Apple has figured out the AppleHuman. :wink: 

    1983
  • Reply 11 of 46
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    welshdog said:
    There have been numerous attempts over the years to redevelop this building and the associated land.  I'm unclear which plan has won out, but I think the master plan by architect Rafael Viñoly is the most recent.  There also was announced a housing addition by Frank Gehry and Foster Associates.  I assume that if Apple has plans for officing here, it must finally have gotten off the ground.

    Here are some of the articles I found on Dezeen about Battersea plans. Some are wacky: http://www.dezeen.com/tag/battersea-power-station/

    I love this. Its a good fit. I remember doing a tour of the old power station  many years ago. It is massive and was beautiful even in a derelict state. (many movies have used it for locations shooting) The fact that Apple is on board would be a huge boost for any scheme currently under consideration. 
    welshdog
  • Reply 12 of 46
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_(Pink_Floyd_album)

    All I see is the cover from Pink Floyd "animals"

    Edit - can't seem to get the part of the link in () to be a part of the hyperlink. 
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 13 of 46
    It is to be hoped the Architects do a better job of the conversion than they did with the Birmingham New Street Apple store.  Since they removed the mezzanine floor and reverted to the original banking hall, the place is one giant echo chamber which probably convenes noise regulations.  

    Not attractive at all IMHO.  

    Battersea power station was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was built during the 1930s, survived the Blitz and became something of a London icon.  
  • Reply 14 of 46
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    adm1 said:


    Artist's impression of the building/site once fully completed in circa 2021. Apple will lease 6 floors of the available office space. 
    Very nice although I am conflicted over whether I feel the chimneys should be removed or not.    Perhaps if they can be put to an obviously new use but if just a reminder of the coal age I'm not so sure.  I of course realize they represent an (in)famous visual land mark too, hence my inner conflict.

    Oh and the helipad seems missing.  
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 15 of 46
    paxman said:
    welshdog said:
    There have been numerous attempts over the years to redevelop this building and the associated land.  I'm unclear which plan has won out, but I think the master plan by architect Rafael Viñoly is the most recent.  There also was announced a housing addition by Frank Gehry and Foster Associates.  I assume that if Apple has plans for officing here, it must finally have gotten off the ground.

    Here are some of the articles I found on Dezeen about Battersea plans. Some are wacky: http://www.dezeen.com/tag/battersea-power-station/

    I love this. Its a good fit. I remember doing a tour of the old power station  many years ago. It is massive and was beautiful even in a derelict state. (many movies have used it for locations shooting) The fact that Apple is on board would be a huge boost for any scheme currently under consideration. 
    A guy I used to work with back when I was living in Horsham served his apprenticeship in the generating hall here.

    I'm glad they've finally figured out what to do with it.  After the magnificent job they did restoring Bankside power station and developing Tate Modern, it was always a shame to come into London Victoria and go past a similar building that was just gradually becoming more and more derelict.

    It's important traces of industrial heritage are kept.  This looks like it's going to be a tremendous development.
    paxman
  • Reply 16 of 46
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Great move by Apple...an iconic company inside an iconic building! This will increase Apple's 'cool' factor in London and the UK IMO.
  • Reply 17 of 46
    Hmm... I thought multinationals were forecasted to head for the exit from the UK in droves after Brexit?

    There we go again, with the so-called 'experts'....
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 18 of 46
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    adm1 said:


    Artist's impression of the building/site once fully completed in circa 2021. Apple will lease 6 floors of the available office space. 
    It's always interesting that the arjchitect drawings often have rooftop fooliage, yet that never seems to happen when finalized. Is it just garnish to make the building look more inviting, or is it really intended when first drawn?
  • Reply 19 of 46
    adm1 said:


    Artist's impression of the building/site once fully completed in circa 2021. Apple will lease 6 floors of the available office space. 
    Very nice although I am conflicted over whether I feel the chimneys should be removed or not.    Perhaps if they can be put to an obviously new use but if just a reminder of the coal age I'm not so sure.  I of course realize they represent an (in)famous visual land mark too, hence my inner conflict.

    Oh and the helipad seems missing.  
    Yeah the helipad was an obvious oversight should be the at construction completion :) but I kinda like the morden building next to the power station though
  • Reply 20 of 46
    I do t know who is in charge of Apple's real estate department but they are batting 1000%. 
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