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London’s iconic BT Tower has been reimagined by architects as an environmentally friendly, sustainable public space, undergoing a “complete” transformation at a cost of £275 million.
Last week it was revealed that the 63-year-old 620ft tower was sold to MCR Hotels and will be redeveloped into luxury accommodation in the capital.
The sale prompted designers at Able Partners to “reimagine” what the iconic tower would look like after an environmentally friendly transformation.
This included creating a route of “photogenic moments” through the building, with a series of interior and exterior views.
The firm’s design also includes sloping seating and restaurant spaces designed to draw as many visitors as possible up to the tower.
Bill Webb, co-founder of Able Partners, said: “The built environment must play an increasingly important role in providing a more sustainable environment.
“But for some of Britain’s most beloved and recognized buildings – like the BT Tower – it’s about maintaining that heritage and having a place in people’s hearts.”
Heatherwick Studio has been appointed to lead new plans for the tower, but Able Partners has proposed a redesign of the infrastructure.
This includes divesting any telecoms functions left behind by BT’s ownership.
The water system will also be replaced to help ensure the building “lasts well into the future”.
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“To give the building new life, we preferred to take advantage of the building’s unique structure and height and strip away telecommunications functions that were no longer needed,” Beal said.
“By replacing them with demountable modular structures, as well as recycled water strategies, we aim to ensure the building’s circularity into the future.”
Renovation of the building will take several years as the BT equipment will need to be gradually dismantled.
But designers have warned against demolishing any part of the structure as rebuilding would require huge amounts of carbon and could worsen London’s carbon dioxide levels.
“Demolishing this building would be a sacrilege, even though its original purpose now faces dereliction,” Beale said.
Ben Stuart, co-founder and director of Able Partners, said: “Our reimagining of the tower ensures the building becomes an accessible community space that locals and visitors can enjoy.
“The new program has been designed with public ownership in mind – the existing podium is transformed into a mixed-use hub for co-working and retail, the tower is developed into a vertical park and the top floors are redesigned with indoor and outdoor views to the skyline.
“The iconic digital signage is an important part of the BT Tower, so we wanted to ensure it was retained and redesigned in its own way.”
Metro.co.uk has contacted Heatherwick Studio for comment
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