The famous four-chimneyed power station at Battersea is not only an architectural treasure but an iconic modern image, synonymous with rock and roll. It famously appeared in the Beatles' 1965 movie 'Help' and on the cover of Pink Floyd's 1977 album 'Animals'.

The station was built in 1939 as part of the development of the National Grid, a project designed to set-up large electricity-generating facilities across England. It was used as a working station until 1983 and has since been unused, despite a series of owners and failed redevelopment programmes.

The power station is the largest brick building in Europe and is noted for its lavish Art Deco interior fittings. However, it is today in very poor condition and is included on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register.

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, also responsible for the red telephone box, Liverpool's Anglican cathedral and the power station at London's Bankside (now the Tate Modern art gallery), was charged with the design. Construction began in 1929 and was completed in 1939. It was composed of a single long hall with a tall chimney at either end. A second, identical station was created fin 1955 and joined to the original station by walls at either end, so completing the famous four-chimneyed structure.

In 1964 a fire at the station caused a power outage across London, including at the BBC Television Centre, which was due to launch the new channel BBC Two that night. This meant that the launch had to be delayed until the following day.

The original two-chimneyed station, known as "Station A" was closed in 1975, with rumours that Station B would soon follow. Due to intense public pressure to rescue the buildings, the station was declared a heritage site in 1980. Production of electricity at Station B ended in 1983.

There have been several projects to redevelop the building including one to create a new eco-friendly power station, one to create an indoor theme park and one to create a massive new development costing £1.1 billion and featuring restaurants, retail outlets, cinemas, hotels, a theatre, flats and offices. None of these plans ever came to fruition and the structure has laid dormant for a quarter of a century.

The iconic power station has been pictured on several album covers by rock and pop groups. During the shoot for Pink Floyd's 1977 album 'Animals', the group's inflatable pink pig, which was meant to be photographed floating above the station, broke free and veered into the flight path of Heathrow Airport. On subsequent shoots, sharpshooters were hired to shoot it down if it went astray. Despite such precautions, there were no usable photos of the pig above the building taken, and the final sleeve was in fact a composite image.