The spectacular viewing platform dubbed Battersea Power Station’s “Great Glass Elevator” has emerged from the top of one of its chimneys for the first time during testing — to be greeted by bright spring sunshine.
The “chimney lift experience”, as it is officially known, will lift 30 visitors at a time 109 metres from Turbine Hall A to the summit of the former generator’s north-west chimney.
It will open in September and be operated by events and entertainment company IMG, which also runs Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the Natural History Museum ice rink, Hampton Court Palace Festival, The Big Festival and Taste of London.
The experience will begin with “an immersive exhibition celebrating the Power Station’s history and heritage” before visitors are whisked up through the concrete structure that once belched out fumes across London.
Tickets for the chimney lift experience, which will be open to the public as well as for private events, will be available from early summer.
The lift gained its nickname from Roald Dahl’s children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which featured a glass elevator.
The first testing of the attraction came on one of the warmest days of the year so far, with temperatures in London expected to reach 18C this afternoon, warmer than Ibiza, Barcelona and Athens.
The benign spring weather is forecast to last all week with clear skies, slack winds and sunshine sending the mercury close to 20C on Wednesday.
Met Office spokesperson Aidan McGivern said Britons can look forward to a further “seven days” of sunshine.
He said: “There will be more spring sunshine to come during the rest of the week. High pressure close to the east then becomes increasingly centred over the UK from Wednesday into Thursday and Friday.”
The pleasant conditions are due to the jet stream tracking well to the north of the UK, letting high pressure dominate from the east, the Met Office added.
