Battersea Power Station has come a long way from being a derelict brick giant on the south bank of the Thames. After decades of sitting empty behind hoardings, the Grade II-listed building and the 42-acre neighbourhood around it have been transformed into one of London's most talked-about mixed-use developments, complete with homes, shops, restaurants, offices and even a tube station on the Northern line.

The headline attraction for anyone who has ever gawped at the building's four white chimneys from a train into Victoria is that you can now actually live inside it. The Switch House West and Switch House East portions of the power station have been converted into apartments, many with views straight down theboiler house hall or out over the river towards Chelsea and Westminster. Developers have kept the industrial bones on display: steel girders, turbine halls and exposed brickwork sit alongside very modern interiors, so residents get a piece of London's industrial history with underfloor heating.

It's not just the power station itself. The wider masterplan by Malaysia's Battersea Power Station Development Company includes several residential buildings — Circus Village, Casa Fara, and other blocks by architects including Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners (Prospect Place and Battersea Roof Gardens among them). The Rooftop Gardens atop the Foster-designed Electric Boulevard buildings claim to be one of London's largest roof gardens, open to residents, while residents also get perks like the on-site concierge and access to the neighbourhood's growing list of shops and eateries.

The practical side has caught up too. Battersea Power Station tube station opened in 2021, ending the area's reputation for being awkward to reach — you're now two stops from Kennington and a short ride from the West End. Electric Boulevard, the development's shopping street linking the power station to Sloane Avenue, has brought boutiques, cafes and a cinema to the doorstep. If you fancy a weekend stroll, Battersea Park and the Thames Path are minutes away.

For travellers rather than buyers, the story is still relevant: the power station's turbine halls are now open to the public as a retail and dining destination, and the Lift 109 experience whisks visitors up the north-west chimney for 360-degree views over the capital. Add in the neighbourhood's riverside bars and it makes an easy half-day out on a London trip, especially combined with nearby Chelsea or a walk along the Embankment.

So who is this story really for? For anyone house-hunting in Zone 1-2 who wants something with a bit of soul — these are flats inside a building most Londoners only know from a Pink Floyd album cover. Expect Zone 1-adjacent pricing: this is a luxury development, and rents and sale prices reflect that, so it's a stretch for most budgets but a fascinating example of how a city landmark can be given a second life. Even if you'll never live there, it's worth seeing what £9 billion of regeneration looks like up close.

Via Secret London.