BBC Broadcasting House - a photo on Flickriver

The new entrance to Broadcasting house with the original building on the left, the second phase, now called The John Peel Wing on the right and phase three with the new studios right ahead.

Broadcasting House is currently undergoing a major renovation, aiming to restore the original building and combine a number of the BBC's operations in a newly built extension. Upon completion, the building will house the television and radio operations of BBC News which would relocate from Television Centre; the BBC World Service, relocating from Bush House, and BBC Radio, with the exception of BBC Radio 5 Live and its sister station 5 Live Sports Extra.

To make way for the renovation, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music moved from Broadcasting House to newly built studios in the nearby Western House, with the intention of returning to Broadcasting House when the lease runs out in 2013.[6]

The building work was completed in two phases, however it began with the demolition of two post-war extensions to the building

The first phase consisted of the restoration of the original building, by now starting to show its age and needing structural repair, and the building of a new wing to the east of the original structure.[7]

In the old building, the sloped east roof was taken off, and many of the rooms stripped back to their walls, although much of the Art Deco architecture was retained and preserved. Much of the work focused on the lower walls and ceilings which did not feature Art Deco architecture. The reception area was renovated to include a new desk, while retaining the message and statue as the attention piece of the room. Many rooms had ceilings removed, such as the south tower, and new reinforcement joists were added.

The new Egton wing was roughly the same shape as the main Broadcasting House building, featuring a modern design and window arrangement, but retaining some features such as the Portland stone used for the building. Towards the rear of the building, a large block was created in the side, mirroring that created in the main building, when the sloping roof was removed.

The design of the new extension, intended to equal in "architectural creativity" that already on site was carried out by MacCormac Jamieson Prichard. Construction was completed in 2005 and the newly refurbished Broadcasting House, and the newly completed Egton wing were opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 April 2006 as part of her 80th birthday celebrations.[8] All areas of the Egton Wing were fully fitted out and completed by 2007.

In 2012, the newly constructed wing was renamed from the former Egton wing, after the building on the previous site, to the John Peel wing, after the Radio 1 DJ of the same name. The decision was announced by the Director-General Mark Thompson as a means of commemorating a "great radio talent".

The second phase of the project was the creation of a huge wing to the rear of the building, joining the two buildings, and creating a plaza between them. It is this extension that will contain the BBC News and Journalism departments. The new building will contain state of the art technical equipment and new studios to house the BBC News bulletins on television, the BBC News Channel as well as BBC World News, the BBC Arabic Television service and the BBC Persian Television service. At the heart of this is a new, pillarless newsroom, the largest live newsroom in the world.[8]

A walkway above the newsroom would also allow the public to view the work of journalists, while connecting the foyer to the Radio Theatre and a new café for staff and the public. This, complemented by the outdoor plaza, which could act as an outdoor arena and theatre, is designed to engage the public with the television and radio making process.[8]

The construction work was completed by Bovis Lend Lease.[10]

The original architects were sacked and replaced by the BBC for not agreeing to cost-related revisions as Sir Richard MacCormac was unwilling to sacrifice the quality of his design.[11] While the rebuilding process was underway, many of the BBC Radio stations moved to other buildings near Portland Place. The extension is glass covered in the plaza area and curved to contrast both wings either side and to continue the glass found on both sides high up the building. On the Portland Place side, it continues the same use of Portland stone and glass seen in Egton wing. Construction work was completed in 2010, with control handed over to the BBC in 2011. The building is now being fitted out with the required technical equipment.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting_House

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / London / Fitzrovia (show map)

Taken on: July 7, 2012

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Sets appears in: • July 2012 • Sigma 10-20mm

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