In a few months time, it will be possible to ride up the inside of a Battersea Power Station chimney, and pop out of the top for a view across London.
(c) Lift 109
Although prices haven’t been confirmed yet, they are opening up for reservations so you can get first dibs when tickets go on sale later this autumn. The chimney lift also gains a brand name — LIFT 109 – because, well, it’s a lift and goes up to 109 metres above sea level.
The visit to the chimney lift will include an exhibition space housed in the Power Station’s Art Deco Turbine Hall A followed by the glass elevator ascent to the top of the building’s north-west chimney – reaching a viewpoint 109 metres above the ground.
You’ll leave via the gift shop, because of course you do.
When it opens, the chimney lift will be open from 10am to 8pm daily, and they expect the whole visit to last around 45 minutes.
You can register for the first tickets to go on sale here. As prices haven’t been announced, there’s no commitment to buy tickets, you’re just registering to have the first chance at them when prices are confirmed.
Battersea Power Station’s first two chimneys were built in the 1930s, with the fourth and final chimney completed in the 1950s. After many years of service, Battersea Power Station’s four chimneys underwent a restoration between 2015 and 2017, when they were reconstructed using the same methods utilised in the original build more than 60 years ago
The chimney lift was originally announced in 2018, and had been due to open in 2021, but was delayed because of that damned thing.
Although the lift is operating out of the northwest chimney (right below), the northeast chimney is also in use, as an actual chimney for the basement power plant that supplies energy to the whole estate. You can occasionally see puffs of vapour plume coming out of the top.
(c) Lift 109
Update – according to the Battersea Power Station website, the chimney tours will open on Wednesday 20th October.
Would love to visit the power station
Hey man, get with the programme!
According to the developer’s blurb, it’s either called BPS… or better still ~ in a classic example of puff ~ it’s in fact the “new town centre” whatever the Hell that’s meant to mean. You couldn’t make it up.