KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Battersea Power Station has appointed UK urban design practice Studio Egret West as master planner, urban designer and landscape architect for the remaining phases of its riverside neighbourhood.

The appointment marks a key step in advancing the final 16 acres of the 42-acre regeneration site, which has outline planning permission for up to 3.2 million sq ft of residential, commercial, cultural and leisure space.

Studio Egret West will evolve the original masterplan by the late Rafael Viñoly, first conceived more than 15 years ago, to reflect changing expectations around lifestyle, leisure and workspace.

Battersea Project Holding Company chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said the appointment reflects the need to refine earlier plans to match evolving urban lifestyles and technological shifts.

“The way cities function has shifted dramatically since 2012, when we purchased and began work on the Battersea Power Station redevelopment project. Now is a critical time to reflect on the original plans and fine-tune them to better support how people live, work and spend their leisure time,” he said in a statement.

With roughly half of the redevelopment already completed, the upcoming phases are set to complete the mixed-use riverside district centred on the Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station, which has attracted more than 40 million visitors since reopening in 2022.

Future phases will also connect with Nine Elms Park, a 14-acre green corridor running from Vauxhall to the six-acre riverfront park at the Power Station.

Construction of two Frank Gehry-designed buildings completing Electric Boulevard — the development’s pedestrianised high street — is expected to begin in the coming months. The project has also partnered Wandsworth Council to deliver about 200 council homes under the Homes for Wandsworth programme, subject to approvals.

The transformation of Battersea Power Station has been led by Malaysian shareholders S P Setia Bhd (KL:SPSETIA), Sime Darby Property Bhd (KL:SIMEPROP) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), with Permodalan Nasional Bhd and EPF becoming long-term commercial asset holders in 2019.