Buildings under Urban Regeneration

Just lately I have been documenting places that are under threat, or in the procedure of redevelopment. Over the last few weeks I have sketched at two locations in London that are going through this process Battersea Park Power Station located at the South bank of the river Thames, Nine Elms and the Aylesbury Estate in Walworth, South East London.  

The Battersea Power station was built in the 30’s and has been inactive since the early 80’s. It was also on the front cover of Pink Floyd’s Animal album. When I was in my late teens I frequently used the train line that passed Battersea Power Station and it was always an iconic landmark for me as the train approached London.I sketched the power station from across the river.I thought that drawing with torn Paper was an appropriate medium to capture the regeneration-taking place.  

The notorious Aylesbury housing estate is the largest in London built between 1963 and 1977 and accommodates about 7600 people. Protests are taking place to save the estate. Residents are being moved off the estate, block by block, re-homed and split up all over the country.

I have used torn paper again in the sketch below, representing its looming future. I couldn’t believe the size of the estate. My sketches don’t quite capture its scale. I was captivated by the walkways leading up to the floors. I liked the cylindrical structure of this one. An interesting thought provoking location.

I have been documenting a forgotten place that has been subject to planning for many years in Norwich. If you want to see more… here is a link to my blog.http://juliebolus.blogspot.co.uk

Buildings under Urban Regeneration