Philip parkers book the az history of london looks back on londons famous az maps, and those which preceded them. The rebuilt globe theatre is now one of the best theatres in london, while the neighbouring tate modern, housed in the stupendous bankside power station, is among the worlds most popular art galleries. May 30, 2010 inside the old bankside power station. This book tells the inside story of how the new gallery was built at bankside power station. The terrace allows for 360degree views of the building frenzy. The eastern half of the building was brought into commission in 1963. Bankside neighbourhood, london, united kingdom britannica. The redevelopment of bankside power station, suspended during the war, was started again by the city of london electric lighting company limited in 1944. The tate modern and the battle for londons soul the new.
And next door is the decommissioned bankside power station which is now home to the tate modern art gallery be sure to visit the viewing level on the top floor of this building. There is a superb archive of design work and photography which speaks for itself and which was made into a magnificent book in three beautiful volumes that imogen eveson wrote and designed to celebrate the the wapping project time at the power station, it was presented on the 23 december 20. Eagleeyed c20 members visiting the capital will have rejoiced in the mysterious disappearance of the infamous swiss. Cartographers have mapped london for many centuries and for many reasons from assessing bomb damage, to helping tourists find the zoo. Ten things you didnt know about battersea power station. Bankside power station is a decommissioned electricity generating station located on the south. Split into a variety of very short chapters, from its roman beginnings through to the tate modern being located in a disused power station at bankside, this tome covers everything anyone could want to know. Londons bankside power station stood disused from 1981 until 2000, when it opened to the public as the tate modern. Godleys history of the area might run to fewer than 50 pages but its a fine read all the same. The rise, fall and transformation of bankside power station, 18902010.
The john harvard local history library and, last but far from least, the records of southwark council. Tate modern the uks largest museum of modern art, housed in a stunning transformation of the former bankside power station. Bankside b power station was a controversial postwar addition to londons cityscape. Sir giles gilbert scott designed the original bank power station. This saw the completion of the western half of the building and the central chimney with first power being generated in 1953, and this is the status of bankside power station that my father photographed in the photo at the start of this post. It is based in the former bankside power station, in the bankside area of the london borough of southwark. In 1993 it began to mount work in one of london s most beautiful, derelict buildings in the east end, the wapping hydraulic power station. Londons first theatres, the globe, the hope and the rose were all built there in the 16th century and shakespeares plays first performed there. The history of twentiethcentury environmental pollution in london has an extensive literature. City of london electric lighting company limited wikipedia. The palace made much use of material salvaged from a twelfthcentury predecessor on the site. The former bankside power station was selected as the new gallery site in 1994. Tate modern is a modern art gallery located in london.
Electricity was first generated on this site on 12th june 1891 by the city of london electric lighting company. Bankside power station london, united kingdom landmark. The original bankside power station was similarly supplied, with coal and waste ash from the boilers handled at a dedicated wharf. When we first visited bankside power station for the original tate modern competition in 1994, it seemed like the castle in sleeping beauty an. Due to its location, bankside was not an appealing place to live in the 1960s and 1970s due to the constant humming noise from the power station. I am currently researching the history of bankside power station for a phd. Tate modern bankside power station, london educational. How we made tate modern art and design the guardian. The city of london electric lighting company limited was a british electricity undertaking. Built originally as bankside power station, incorporating four oilfired generators, it began generating power in 1952. Media in category bankside power station the following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. Sir giles gilbert scott was commissioned to design the building. Bankside is also the name of a street in the district, which lies between blackfriars bridge west and london bridge east and more or less defines the extent of the area. Electricity was generated by burning coal in boilers to heat water and make steam.
The design was thought sufficiently grand to provide a fitting counterpoint to st pauls cathedral opposite it on the north bank of the river, now linked to this site by the millennium bridge. Bankside is one of the oldest settlements in britain, dating back over 6000 years. Building bankside power station a london inheritance. Batterseas plight is particularly sad given that a little way to the east stands bankside, another former power station built by the same architect. There are 4 ways to get from bankside power station to holborn station by subway, bus, taxi or foot. Battersea power station is a decommissioned coalfired power station, located on the south bank of the river thames, in nine elms, battersea, in the london borough of wandsworth. A view over the river thames of bankside power station, as seen from unilever house, london, england, united kingdom, in august 1956. Bankside power station wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Now it is home to londons most popular art gallery. Tate modern, rehabilitation of the former bankside power. The western half and the chimney were built in 194753 on the site of the now demolished bankside gas works. The work undertaken by the glc coincided with the decommissioning of bankside power station. It was also used as a training base for apprenticeships from all over the country. Bankside power station wikipedia republished wiki 2.
Bankside power station, now tate modern, sits on the site of an earlier power station. It was always described by its founder and director, jules wright, as an idea consistently in transition. Scotts bankside b power station replaced bankside a in turn, and opened in 1952, though it was not completed until 1963. In this post are some 1947 photos of the power station.
Constructed work on the power station was completed in 1953, from. Tate modern bankside power station, london photograph taken august 2001 historic england archive ref. Bankside power station archives a london inheritance. Find the perfect bankside power station, london stock photo. When the romans founded londinium on the north bank of the thames, a bridge was built near the present day london bridge, and the surrounding area has been inhabited ever since. Bankside power station and st george the martyr church. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. There are 5 ways to get from cambridge to bankside power station by train, bus, rideshare or car. The building was built in two phases between 1947 and 1963. May 21, 2017 the original power station can clearly be seen covering the land where the second half of the new bankside power station would later be built. In 1929 the bankside power station now tate modern was built on the site of many of the old streets and alleyways. The transformation of bankside power station to tate modern has finally brought about, in the words of the 1947 public inquiry, the redevelopment of the area in a manner worthy of its position in the heart of london. In december 1992 the tate trustees announced their intention to create a separate gallery for international modern and contemporary art in london. Looking for people who worked at bankside power station.
Erith were appointed by edf energy now uk power networks to decommission within exceptionally strict time restraints. His other buildings include liverpool cathedral, bankside power station, waterloo bridge and the classic red telephone box. Bankside pier london boat tours thames river sightseeing. Bankside pier is just outside the globe theatre, the replica of the elizabethan theatre where shakespeares plays were first staged. It was also used as a training base for apprenticeships from all over the cou. Coal had been supplied by barge to the bankside gasworks which had operated since 1815. Yet, after its closure in 1981, the bankside power station was rendered invisible to the public eye by its. Oct 28, 2019 philip parkers book the az history of london looks back on londons famous az maps, and those which preceded them. The power station was in two shedlike structures which housed the eighteen boilers, each with its own chimney, and a third building to the west housed the generators and electrical switchgear.
Most of the remainder of the bishops triangle of land south of bankside was in lease to sir john cullum and his sons, sir john and sir thomas gery cullum throughout the 18th century. The western half of the structure, which included the chimney, replaced an earlier coalfired power station, in 1952. Bankside power station was a former electricity generating station located on. Love lane, moss alley, unicorn alley, white hind alley all of which had existed since the sixteenth century.
Bankside, loosely defined area along the south bank of the river thames in the london borough of southwark. The original power station can clearly be seen covering the land where the second half of the new bankside power station would later be built. Although scott the man behind waterloo bridge, bankside power station now tate modern and the red phone box tends to get all the credit, he was just called in to prettify the exterior. It is britains national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the tate group together with tate britain, tate liverpool, tate st ives and tate online. Apr 03, 2019 when i first came to london, bankside was awash with artists working away in gently decaying warehouses. The peacock brewery is shown south of the glassworks on rocques map of 1761. The original bankside power station was similarly supplied, with coal and. Oct 12, 2015 article hilton london bankside opens set in the heart of bankside, a short distance from tate modern, one of the worldas most prestigious art galleries, hilton london bankside is home to. Nearest tube underground station to book swap, bankside. The next photo is also from 1952 and shows the power station looking from the north. I took mr cw on a hard hat tour of tate modern, when it was midway through being converted from a power station, for our first date.
On the left you see the bankside power station, 450 feet long, and its. It developed plans for a new power station with an ultimate capacity of 300 mw and submitted these to the planning authority the london county council in 1944. History of bankside bankside is one of the oldest settlements in britain, dating back over 6000 years. Dec 18, 20 due to its location, bankside was not an appealing place to live in the 1960s and 1970s due to the constant humming noise from the power station. It was formed in july 1891 to generate and supply electricity to the city of london and part of north southwark. Bankside beyond borough market catherines cultural. Power into art by karl sabbagh goodreads share book. Colin slee, lived at the property in the early 21st century until his death, while no. Bankside power station the twentieth century society. The founders arms public house takes its name from a much older public house that was situated nearby. Cambridge to bankside power station 5 ways to travel via.
This again shows the original power station to the left of the new bankside power station. The new bankside power station is to be erected on the site. Tate moderns triumph is a stark reminder of failures elsewhere. This led directly to the building of the first super station, to produce 400,000 kilowatts, in battersea. The gallery was inserted into giles gilbert scotts bankside power station, completed in 1963. Bankside power station to holborn station 3 ways to travel.
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