Battersea is to take on the art supremacy of Tate Modern in a battle of the former power stations. The site is to undergo a £1.5 billion redevelopment, a blueprint of which includes a pedestrian bridge linking the site to Pimlico across the Thames.
It is thought that the ambience of Battersea will be very similar to Tate Modern, as both structures were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
However, Ian Rumgay, a spokesman for Parkview, which is overseeing Battersea’s development, said: “We want to have a more eclectic, diverse approach than Tate. We won’t simply be a Tate 2 or 3.” Mr Rumgay added that Battersea would consider bidding to hold the Turner Prize, one of the biggest events in the arts calendar, currently held under the auspices of the Tate. No one at the Tate was available for comment yesterday.
Parkview wants the Bafta awards ceremony to be held at the power station and is in discussions with the British Film Institute, the English National Ballet and London Fashion Week organisers.
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Battersea will begin its arts programme before redevelopment starts when it hosts in October Little China, an exhibition organised by the Serpentine Gallery.