WHY I LOVE BATTERSEA
WHY I LOVE BATTERSEA
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
Large, lofty and unapologetically looming over Battersea, the Power Station is one of London’s most recognisable landmarks. This fine specimen of industrial design has interior designers salivating as much as architects, thanks to its renaissance as a luxury residential hub - think £18 million penthouses, sky villas and a gravity defying suspended glass swimming pool.
While not as gargantuan, the shiny new American Embassy in the Nine Elms quarter is worthy of inspection – an edifice designed by Philadelphia-based architecture firm KieranTimberlake and described as ‘a translucent crystalline cube’. If you can’t take any more bling or brutalism, you can always find solace in the 200-acres of Battersea Park, with its riverside promenade, bandstand and zoo.
Love to shop
Battersea is very much a tale of two halves. For now, locals have a rich choice of independent and family-run stores, such as The Source for plastic-free, zero-waste food and household goods and Saluto London, which repurposes vintage textiles into luxury garments. There’s also Battersea’s famous Affordable Art Fairs and one of my favourite London interior events, The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair - both running at Evolution London in Battersea Park.
In the near future, the iconic turbine halls at the Power Station will offer a shopping extravaganza, with space pre-let to brands including Ray-Ban, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, The Kooples, Aēsop, Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Watches of Switzerland and Jo Malone have already been announced. They will be joined by an 18,500 sq ft food hall and Apple’s new London Campus.
Love to eat
Did somebody say gourmet pastries? They’re just part of the scrumptious offering at the Luxury Picnic Café on Battersea High Street. If sustainability is high on your agenda, head to the Social Pantry Café on Lavender Hill, where seasonal, locally-sourced food is served with a hefty dose of high-end interior design – the exposed brick is a real highlight.
For special occasions, you can’t go wrong with Sinabro along Battersea Rise, where modern French cuisine has been delighting diners since 2014. If you prefer a sense of theatre and seafood excellence, the Wright Brothers’ Battersea restaurant is a must – the ‘pound a pop’ oysters are best consumed with a glass of fizz in the shadow of the Power Station chimneys.