Viñoly brought in to work on Chelsea Battersea bid

Architect Rafael Viñoly has been hired by developer Mike Hussey to work up new plans for Battersea power station in London, the Guardian has reported.

Viñoly – who worked on the most recent failed redesign of the site – will work up Hussey’s proposal to build a stadium for Chelsea football club on the site.

Chelsea has so far hired Hussey’s development company Almacantar and architect Kohn Pedersen Fox to draw up plans for a 55,000-capacity stadium to the south-east of the power station.

Viñoly worked on a £5.5bn revamp scheme for the site that won planning permission last year – but collapsed when the power station was put into administration last week, after Irish property firm Real Estate Opportunities failed to repay £324m to its lenders.

The 16-acre site will soon be put up for sale by administrator Ernst & Young.