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Apple is moving its UK headquarters to the Battersea Power Station — London's iconic brick building that Pink Floyd portrayed on the cover of its 1977 album "Animals." The station's redevelopment is part of an estimated $16.5 billion megadevelopment of the Nine Elms neighborhood, one of the most expensive developments in the city's history.
The tech giant will relocate its 1,400 UK employees to the building after its $1.26 billion restoration is completed in 2021.
Located in southwest Nine Elms, the former power station will serve as the center of the larger redevelopment project (dubbed the Battersea Power Station development), which features apartments, hotels, roof gardens, parks, and other offices and will happen in nine phases. Costing an estimated $9.9 billion, the Battersea Power Station Development project is just one component of Nine Elms' ongoing transformation.
A Malaysian consortium and architecture firm WilkinsonEyre will lead the power station's development, which includes converting the building into offices, shops, event space, theater, and condos.
Here's what it will look like.
Located in southwest London, the Battersea Power Station borders the Thames River.
Battersea Power Station
Apple will move into the station's former boiler rooms, which were decommissioned in 1983, WilkinsonEyre's director, Sebastien Ricard, tells Business Insider.
Battersea Power Station
As the only company signed on so far, Apple will take up 40% of the power station's available office space.
Battersea Power Station
The 500,000 square-foot space, spread over six floors, will have exposed brick and an industrial aesthetic."It follows the trend toward making authentic-looking workspaces rather than sterilized, 1980s-style spaces," Ricard says.
Battersea Power Station
Apple's entrance will have a large concrete atrium. Three glass elevators will take employees where they need to go.
Battersea Power Station
For a view of the entire city, they will also be able to ride a glass elevator inside one of the station's chimneys up to a viewing deck.
Battersea Power Station
In addition to offices, the building will house shops, a theater that seats 2,000 people, and event spaces.
Battersea Power Station
It will also feature 197 apartments, 34 two-story villas, and two penthouses. The apartments will range from about $372,000 to $30 million. Ricard says the station's redesign process "was a lot like designing a mini city."
As the largest brick building in London, the power station is part of the city's fabric, he adds. The building appeared in "The Dark Knight" and "The King's Speech."
Battersea Power Station
Nine Elm's larger development project, which centers around the power station, will happen in nine phases.
Apple's offices are marked in blue.
Battersea Power Station
The first phase consists of apartments that are set to open by 2017. The power station restoration is the second phase.
Battersea Power Station
Some Londoners have criticized the Nine Elms project as being aimed more toward wealthy foreign buyers than locals. Much of the Nine Elms' $16.5 billion investment has poured in from foreign developers, according to The Guardian.