One of the most iconic sights in London is Battersea Power Station. After being closed in 1975, it remained dormant, wasting away for many years. Multiple attempts to redevelop it, including a theme park, failed.
Over the past few years, the area has been completely revived. The power station houses apartments and a tastefully designed shopping mall. Its subdued lighting and muted colours distinguish the mall from many other malls.
After walking around the mall, we bought coffee and sat on the deckchairs watching Wimbledon tennis on the big screen.
As is the way when an area is redeveloped, several nondescript apartment buildings have been built, some of which obscure the view of the power station from certain angles. However, one building stands out. It’s designed by Frank Gehry.
When I was in Arles recently, I saw the magnificent cultural centre designed by Frank Gehry. I wondered which of his other buildings I’ve seen without realising it. In my collection, I found the Dancing House in Prague and two buildings on the MIT campus in Boston.
At the Arles cultural centre, one of the rooms has a video of Frank Gehry talking about how he came to design the Arles building. He was plain-spoken, easy to understand, and full of enthusiasm despite his age. When looking for other buildings he’d designed, I was sad to see he passed away in December 2025, aged 96.
After looking for photos of Frank Gehry’s buildings, I created a new album of interesting buildings.