Making Battersea's chimneys into works of art

Battersea Power Station is a famous London landmark and is the largest brick building in Europe. With its distinctive chimneys and art deco interior, it has been granted Grade II* status as a culturally significant building.Construction began on A Station in 1929 with the plant being commissioned between 33 and 35. B Station followed in 1945 and was commissioned between 53 and 55. The site generated a great deal of electricity but its output fell over time and operating costs rose, particularly in terms of flue cleaning. Battersea was finally decommissioned in 1983, and it has since been the focus of many ambitious redevelopment plans.Plans are currently in place to turn Battersea Power Station into a mixture of luxury residential units and retail space. Many people are concerned about what will be done with the chimneys, as they are the most iconic part of the building and a key part of the London skyline. Any project will need to preserve them and ensure that the building retains its distinctive and unique silhouette.One unusual plan has been put forward by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. His idea is to turn the four chimneys into pedestrian powered Tesla Coils that will add stunning electrical displays to the London skyline. The 100 metre high chimneys would become a piece of artwork, tying the new development in with the history and original purpose of the building.What makes the idea extra special is the fact that the energy for the coils would be generated by pedestrians walking through the neighbouring plaza. By using piezoelectric paving, each footstep would generate power. This would be stored and then used to create the electrical displays every hour. With an estimated 50,000 people walking through the plaza every day the amount of energy generation could be extremely impressive.Feasibility studies are currently being done and the architect is working with leading Tesla Coil experts to see if the plan would work in action. The developers of Battersea have not yet responded to the idea. It remains to be seen what will be done with the building, but as long as the architects are sensitive to the unique nature of this historic and iconic building, it is certain to be one of the most impressive examples of residential architecture in London.