The Temple of Power describes an energy facility that existed in 1940, but has since been decommissioned. Battersea Power Station, as it is formally known, actually only had 2 chimneys until around 1950, when the extra two were added. Needless to say, it was decommissioned within 1983, due to it's machinery wearing itself out, and the drifting of Coal as the industry leader for electricity creation. It was in 1980 that the boiler house roof was removed to help aid the process of removing a lot of the machinery.
The chimney's CO2 emissions can be seen lifting skywards as the industry's heavy reliance upon Coal had aided us in creating the next-generation of technology. Coal is still a fuel we choose to aid us in our creation, but as the environmental concerns creeped in, we have shifted a little ways towards wind-generated power sources, wave breaks, and some places choose to incorporate solar power - although this usually happens on a company by company basis. This monumental building truly showed us what capability we have in the coal industry, but also the potential destruction it can cause to our environment. The output of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere is slowly warming the planet, the very fact that this building isn't operational anymore is an initial step towards achieving a coal-free environment.
The remains of the building are now being renovated to create blocks of flats around it, and a shopping centre within the main building of Battersea Power Station. As you can see above, the building has already got mock-ups of its potential visual. The reuse of such a wonderful artefact will prolong its relevance within modern society, whilst also maintaining a hint towards its heroic past as a power house for energy creation. One step closer to a coal-free environment, one step closer to reducing CO2.
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