Residents have begun moving into the first homes in the UK designed by Califonia based “starchitect” Frank Gehry.
His Los Angeles practice Gehry Partners designed two buildings at Battersea Power Station’s Prospect Place with a total of 308 apartments, townhouses and penthouses, as well as shops and a park.
They form one side of Electric Boulevard, the new “high street” for the £9 billion development at the former electricity generator.
The 93 year old was signed up to design the buildings at the Power Station in his first British residential commission.
He is best known for extravagant avant garde creations such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Dancing House in Prague.
Gehry Partners has designed two colour palettes for the homes in Prospect Place: London and LA. The London palette reflects the historical elements of the development with metal finishes to create an industrial feel.
In contrast, and drawing upon warmer climates, the LA palette has pale wooden finishes and a light colour scheme.
Simon Murphy, chief executive at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Frank Gehry and his team have gone above and beyond in the delivery of world-class buildings at Prospect Place. It is an honour that Frank’s first UK residential project is at Battersea Power Station and its completion marks an important milestone in the development.
“When we first designed the masterplan, we envisioned a thriving community where people can live, work and play, and with every milestone achieved, we are ever closer to making that vision a reality, particularly as we prepare to open the Power Station to the public from September.”
Mr Gehry said: “I love London. It has culture, history and diversity and the buildings we have created at Battersea Power Station are designed to stand artfully on their own amongst all of that, whilst also framing an internationally recognised icon.
“It is important we create social places for future generations and our goal from the start has been to create a neighbourhood that connects into the historic fabric of the city of London but also has its own identity and integrity.”
