Vauxhall Bus Station
Why is it significant?
Designed by Arup and opened in 2004, Vauxhall Bus Station in London features a 200-metre continuous stainless steel ribbon roof equipped with over 160 solar panels that generate one-third of its power. The modern transport hub occupies the 17th to mid-19th century site of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, where Londoners once gathered to hear music by George Frideric Handel, watch fireworks, and see hot air balloon ascents.
Key Facts
| Place | Vauxhall Bus Station |
|---|---|
| Address | Vauxhall Bus Station, London SW8 1SJ |
| Geo Coordinates | 51.48473, -0.12477 |
| Audio Duration | ~2 min |
| Part of Walk | Vauxhall to Battersea: Riverside Modern Marvels |
| Generated | Generated |
What to look for?
- Designed by Arup, Vauxhall Bus Station opened in London in 2004 with a 200-metre stainless steel ribbon roof.
- Over 160 solar panels angled at 20 degrees generate one-third of the electricity for Vauxhall Bus Station.
- Vauxhall Bus Station stands on the 17th to mid-19th century site of the famous Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
- Visitors to the historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens listened to music composed by George Frideric Handel.
Photo: Google
What historic attraction previously occupied the site of Vauxhall Bus Station in London?
Look up at this striking, futuristic structure soaring above the traffic. Designed by Arup and opened in two thousand and four, Vauxhall Bus Station is wrapped in a continuous two hundred metre long stainless steel ribbon. The roof lifts precipitately at the northern end into two cantilevered prongs, angled at twenty degrees to catch the sun with over one hundred and sixty solar panels that power a third of the building! Yet long before thousands of commuters rushed through here each day, this exact ground hosted a very different kind of spectacle. From the seventeenth to the mid nineteenth century, this was the site of the legendary Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London's ultimate open air theme park. Londoners of every social class would board wooden boats to cross the Thames and step into a world of pure wonder. Under the glow of thousands of flickering oil lamps, visitors listened to music composed by George Frideric Handel, marvelled at fireworks, and gaped at daring hot air balloon ascents. But the glamour came with a wicked edge. The dark, unlit wooded avenues, known as the Dark Walks, were infamous across Europe for pickpockets, illicit rendezvous, and wild scandals. The quiet trees and grand supper booths are long gone, paved over by railway tracks and busy thoroughfares. But as you prepare to walk west toward Battersea, pause to admire this modern gateway, where the spirit of spectacle and innovation still hangs in the air.