Wapping Hydraulic Power Station
51°30′24″N 0°3′9″W / 51.50667°N 0.05250°W
The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station (built 1890) was originally run by the London Hydraulic Power Company in Wapping, London, England. Originally it operated using steam, and was later converted to use electricity. It was used to power machinery, including lifts, across London. The Tower Subway was used to transfer the power, and steam, to districts south of the river.[1]
The surviving complex consists of the engine house, boiler house, water tank, accumulator tower, reservoir, foreman's house, seven 1950s throw ram pumps, a 1950s pilot accumulator, two cranes, two transformers and switchgear and is located at 30, Wapping Wall.
The building was designated a grade II* listed building in December 1977.[2] After its closure as a pumping station on 30 June 1977,[1] the building was converted and reopened by Jules Wright as an arts centre (Wapping Project Bankside) and restaurant (Wapping Food).[3] It held its first exhibition in 1993, and opened in a new form in 2000.[3] Exhibitions were held in the basement and the main ground floor hall housed the restaurant, with some of the original equipment still in place.
In 2013, the building was sold to developers Real Estate Ltd.[3] In early 2014 the lease for the space came to an end and the arts spaced moved to 37 Dover Street, Mayfair.[4]
On the opposite side of the road, The Prospect of Whitby is a notable public house, on the northern bank of the River Thames.
References
- ^ a b Morgan, Roger (28 July 1977). "Watery Death of Electricity's Rival". New Scientist: 221–223.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ^ a b c Moore, Rowan (1 December 2013). "The Wapping Project: our obsession with house prices will turn our cities into cultural deserts". The Observer. London: The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ Padley, Gemma (17 September 2014). "Wapping Project Bankside re-opens in Mayfair". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
External links
- Subterranea Britannica
- Photos of the Wapping Project
- The Wapping Project
- Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
- Infrastructure completed in 1890
- Former power stations in London
- Arts centres in London
- Contemporary art galleries in the United Kingdom
- Cultural and educational buildings in London
- Restaurants in London
- Buildings and structures in Tower Hamlets
- Grade II* listed buildings in London
- Grade II* listed industrial buildings
- Visitor attractions in Tower Hamlets
- Wapping
- Photography museums and galleries in England