Apple’s show of power as it moves 1,400 staff to Battersea
AS a symbol of dominance, few buildings could beat Battersea Power Station as it towers over the Thames.
And the connotations do not seem to have been lost on Apple – which has chosen the site for its new British headquarters.
The technology giant plans to move 1,400 of its staff from across the capital into the imposing brick structure following a £9billion restoration. The firm will take 500,000sq ft over six floors from 2021, making it the site’s largest tenant. It will also be one of Apple’s biggest offices outside America.
The redeveloped power station, which is owned by a Malaysian consortium, will also include three floors of shops, 253 apartments around a ‘garden square in the sky’, a 2,000seater auditorium and cinemas.
Rob Tincknell, chief executive of Battersea Power Station, said the commitment from Apple would help ‘create one of London’s most thriving new communities’.
Apple has previously been heavily criticised over its tax arrangements. The US firm sparked fury in 2015 after revealing that it only paid £11.8million in British corporation tax the previous year – despite raking in estimated profits of around £2billion.
This is because it funnels its vast sales in Britain and much of Europe through Ireland, which has low corporation tax.