Battersea Power Station, Lift 109
Offering one of the best views of London, Lift 109 takes you to the top of Battersea Power Station’s north-west chimney. From the viewing platform there, you can see the world-famous landmarks that make up London’s stunning skyline and enjoy a unique bird’s eye view of the Power Station itself. But the view from the top is just the grand finale of a journey that starts in the Power Station’s beautifully restored Art Deco Turbine Hall A, followed by an exhilarating ascent in lift 109.
A one-of-a-kind experience
The whole visitor experience for Lift 109 was designed by the award-winning lighting design firm, Michael Grubb Studio. Combining a dynamic audio-visual experience with breath-taking 360-degree views of the London skyline, the 15-square-metre glass elevator travels up the inside of the power station’s northwest chimney to present visitors with unobscured views of London night and day.
The experience starts in Turbine Hall A, where visitors can find out more about the building’s rich history before entering the lift to travel to the top of the chimney. Designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the lighting experience inside the chimney is awe-inspiring. Dynamic light shows within the chimney interact with visitors throughout their journey up and down the interior of the chimney.
Upon stepping into the lift, the rings pulsate and multiply, and the light quickly raises up and comes crashing down into a crescendo. The lighting extends to infinite across the lift walls and ceiling as the elevator reaches the height of its ascent. As the lift descends, the ring lights shine outwards in a halo of light, granting visitors an intimate illumination of the interior architecture of the chimney.
A programming challenge
The rings of light are created by colour-changing Vexica Flexi Line T3 and white Architape LED lighting strips mounted to the inside of the chimney. The lights are controlled by a Pharos Designer LPC 1 controller, an all-in-one control solution that features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, allowing for fully customisable, pre-programmed lighting effects
The LPC1 was programmed by Architainment’s own technical team. They needed to sync the lighting changes with audio features – designed by Coda to Coda – and also time them to match the ascent and descent of the lift up and down the chimney.
A complete renovation
Lift 109 is just part of the complete renovation of the Battersea Power Station. From a derelict site, the renovated power station is now a thriving community with residential accommodation, shopping, restaurants and, of course, the Lift 109 experience. You can read more about the Battersea Power Station renovation and the lighting of its iconic chimneys here.
Client: Battersea Power Station
Architect: Wilkinson Eyre, UK
Lighting Design: Michael Grubb Studio, UK
Exhibition Design and Art Direction: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Audio Designers: Coda to Coda