Kohn Pederson Fox founder tells Mipim audience that scheme will 鈥榤ake the most鈥 of defunct power station
Architect Kohn Pederson Fox said it has developed a 鈥渧ery beautiful scheme鈥 for Chelsea Football Club to relocate to Battersea Power Station, which will retain an active use for the grade-II* listed structure.
Speaking at Mipim, KPF founder Gene Kohn said that the scheme, drawn up with Chelsea鈥檚 development partner Almacantar, would 鈥渕ake the most鈥 of the defunct power station.
His comments came as the planned sale of the power station site by administrator Ernst & Young and the surrounding regeneration of the Nine Elms area of London was the main talking point at this year鈥檚 Mipim property festival in Cannes.
The previous redevelopment plan, being taken forward by Real Estate Opportunities, collapsed into administration in November last year after it was unable to pay debts to Lloyds Bank and Irish bad bank NAMA.
Chelsea鈥檚 move with Almacantar and KPF is so far the only publicly confirmed interested party in the site, valued at about 拢500m. Administrators were reported to be optimistic the sale would complete in the first half of 2012.
Kohn said: 鈥淲e have a very beautiful scheme that presumes we鈥檙e making the most of the power station itself. It will have an active use for the power station, and I can鈥檛 think of much else that could make as good a use of it as we鈥檙e proposing.鈥
But Wandsworth council leader Ravi Govindia, also speaking at Mipim, downplayed the Chelsea bid, saying he was not aware of moves to bring the club to Battersea and questioned whether it would fit in with existing plans. 鈥淲ith the idea for a football stand, you have to wonder,鈥 he said.
Battersea Power Station is the highest profile part of the Nine Elms redevelopment area, which is dependent on the construction of an extension to the Northern Line, and also includes the 拢500m US Embassy, the redevelopment of Covent Garden Flower Market, and the 1,870-home Nine Elms Parkside project by the Royal Mail, which received planning permission this week.
Govindia said the Nine Elms Strategy Board, which governs the redevelopment of the area, could yet become a legally defined body with statutory powers to drive the plan.
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