National Geographic has recently unveiled its expanded Best of the World 2024 guide, featuring outstanding experiences, hotels, restaurants, and cultural and wellness destinations worth exploring this year.
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Among the categories highlighted in this guide, Cultural Spots stand out, and one unexpected gem has caught the attention… the Malaysian-owned Battersea Power Station in London.
Reported by New Straits Times, the £9 billion (RM54,178,105,275.00) power station underwent restoration and transformation into a dynamic multifunctional destination through a collaboration of companies including Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Sime Darby Property, S P Setia Bhd, and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
"From the 1930s to the 1980s, this imposing brick coal plant supplied up to a fifth of London's power. Following a decade-long, $6 billion renovation, the smokestack-capped, 1.5 million-square-foot building has emerged as a stylish center for shopping, dining, and entertainment," National Geographic reports.
Photo via New Straits Times
Noteworthy features of the repurposed space include a glassed-in viewpoint atop one of Battersea's iconic 357-foot-tall smokestacks. Visitors also have the option to stay onsite at the Art'otel, boasting a rooftop pool and an art gallery.
This recognition by National Geographic underscores Battersea Power Station's transformation into a captivating cultural destination, blending history with contemporary allure.
So cool, huh?