A former London communication tower, also known as the British Telecommunications (BT) Tower, has recently been sold by the BT Group to MCR Hotels for £275 million (€321 million). The group plans to turn the futuristic landmark into an unforgettable hotel, where guests can get a perfect bird’s-eye view of London.
When the tower was completed in 1964, it officially became London’s tallest structure and it remained so until 1980, when it was overtaken by the NatWest Tower in the financial district. Initially, the building was known as the Post Office Tower and it was designed to relay microwave signals carrying telecommunications from London around the United Kingdom. In its first years, it used to be open to the public, including a revolving restaurant on the last floor, but a bomb explosion in 1971 brought a halt to that. With fixed and mobile networks making its initial function unnecessary, the building has been essentially used to display messages on its LED screen over the last years. Now, it is ready for its next purpose.
“The BT Tower sits at the heart of London and we’ve been immensely proud to be the owners of this important landmark since 1984. It’s played a vital role in carrying the nation’s calls, messages and TV signals, but increasingly we’re delivering content and communication via other means. This deal with MCR will enable BT Tower to take on a new purpose, preserving this iconic building for decades to come”, Brent Mathews, Property Director at BT Group, said in a press release.
BT Group is selling the tower to MCR Hotels, which already has multiple high-standing hotels around the world, including the High Line Hotel and the TWA Hotel in New York.
“We are proud to become owners and custodians of the iconic BT Tower,” said Tyler Morse, CEO and owner of MCR. “We will take our time to carefully develop proposals that respect the London landmark’s rich history and open the building for everyone to enjoy. We see many parallels between the TWA Hotel and the BT Tower. Both are world-renowned, groundbreaking pieces of architecture. It’s been a privilege to adapt the TWA Flight Center into new use for future generations, as it will be the BT Tower.”
London-based architecture firm Heatherwick Studio will be in charge of redesigning the former communication tower.
