KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 10): Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) and main contractor Sisk have broken ground on Prospect Place South, the next phase of development for the 42-acre riverside neighbourhood, Battersea Power Station.

According to a press statement on Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction. Attendees included Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Battersea Marsha de Cordova, Wandsworth Council Leader Councillor Robert Morritt, Wandsworth Work Match Employer Engagement Manager — Construction Karen Gleaves, Battersea Project Holding Company chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, BPSDC chief executive officer James Saunders and Sisk managing director Ger Hayes.  

Representatives from S P Setia Bhd (KL:SPSETIA), Sime Darby Property Bhd (KL:SIMEPROP), Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) — the Malaysian consortium that purchased the Battersea Power Station site in 2012 — were also present.  

Designed by Gehry Partners, Prospect Place South will comprise two buildings, Rosewood House and Hayworth House, completing the pedestrianised high street, Electric Boulevard. The development will deliver approximately 300 new homes, 65,000 sq ft of commercial space for shops, cafes and restaurants, a 15,000-sq ft Community Hub, and an expanded bike hub providing 600 spaces free of charge.  

Main contractor Sisk will lead construction alongside BPSDC and the wider project team to deliver the Gehry-designed structures. The buildings form an extension to Prospect Place and remain the only residential developments in the UK designed by Frank Gehry. The design features green roofs on both buildings to contribute to a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain alongside a lower-carbon design aesthetic.  

Construction is expected to create 400 jobs, with a target of 20% local recruitment, and is slated for completion in 2030. 

With approximately half of the regeneration project now complete at Battersea Power Station, strategic urban design planner Studio Egret West has been appointed to evolve the original masterplan by Rafael Viñoly. A planning application will be submitted this month for the revised masterplan covering the remaining 16 acres, which has the potential to deliver up to 3.2 million sq ft of residential, commercial, cultural and leisure space.