New York and Copenhagen-based practice Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) today released their first renderings for Malaysia Square, the new public square for the Battersea Power Station, the south London decommissioned power plant designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. The plant reopened in 1933 after external renovations but has been closed since 1982. The total redevelopment, led by Rafael Viñoly, FAIA, is estimated at £8 billion, or approximately $9.9 million, with BIG’s public space linking the southern entrance of Scott’s Grade II with the proposed high street, Electric Boulevard, by Foster + Partners and Gehry Partners. Although the Battersea Power Station Development has not officially commented the project, London mayor Boris Johnson today confirmed BIG’s victory in the design competition—solidifying month-old rumors of BIG’s first U.K. project in a major district targeted for redevelopment.
As a tribute to SP Setia, the project’s developer, the project is titled "Malaysia Square." The design is inspired by the exotic country's natural environment, featuring obvious attributions such as a hibiscus-shaped fountain in the center, which refers to the country's national flower. Characterized by an array of bridges over the cavernous public square, BIG’s plan will be the key entry point, linking Gehry and Foster’s high street to Scott’s temple. Led by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, this major redesign for a public space comes right after Smithsonian announced they selected BIG’s proposals for their master redesign of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
