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Elephant and Castle memorial with TfL infrastructure hidden inside ‘needs care and conservation’ – Southwark News
A large Elephant and Castle monument with Transport for London (TfL) infrastructure hidden inside ‘needs care and conservation’, according to campaigners.
The Michael Faraday Memorial, a tribute to the famous Victorian scientist, was built in 1961.
Centered on the roundabout, passers-by may not know it houses an electric substation that powers the Bakerloo and Northern Lines.
Despite being Grade-II listed, and heralded for its “architectural quality and panache” by experts, campaigners fears it is deteriorating.
TfL has now said it will clean the monument “in the next few weeks” and consider whether it needs more regular care.
The C20 Society, a group protecting modern architecture, wrote on X that the memorial was “looking in need of some care and conservation.”
A C20 spokesperson added: “We’d urge TfL to consult with specialists to ensure the correct approaches are taken to ongoing conservation and maintenance.”
Architect Rodney Gordon, who also masterminded the futuristic Target House near Green Park, designed the memorial in 1959.
The memorial is dedicated to Michael Faraday who grew up in nearby Newington Butts in the early 19th century and became one of the world’s greatest experimental physicists.
His pioneering research into electromagnetism led to him being the first to produce an electric current from a magnetic field.
Faraday also invented the first electric motor and dynamo so it’s fitting that his memorial contains an electrical substation.
The architect originally hoped to build the structure out of glass so people could see the substation encased within.
But he opted against it over vandalism fears, instead choosing stainless steel dished panels.
In 2016, TfL gave the structure a much-needed paint job after local residents complained about its ‘shabby’ appearance.
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