It is a must-see skyscraper in the London landscape.
Until 1980, the tower was the tallest building in the British capital.
The “BT Tower”, initially called the “Post Office Tower” when it was inaugurated in 1965, has just been sold to the American group MCR Hotels for 275 million pounds sterling (322 million euros) by British Telecom, which owned it. since 1984. Its property director, Brent Mathews, said the tower had been instrumental in transmitting the UK's calls, messages and television signals but no longer meets today's telecommunications needs
The MCR Hotels hotel group, which already owns the TWA Hotel in New York's JFK airport, aims to transform the 177 meter high building (191 meters with its antenna) into a hotel.
Without announcing an opening date or giving details of the future establishment, MCR Hotels indicates in a press release that “
it will take several years for BT Group to vacate the premises, due to the scale and complexity works to move technical equipment, and it will take a long time to develop the design and involve local communities before the proposals are revealed
.”
Located between the British Museum and Regent's Park, in the Fitzrovia district, the BT Tower was granted Grade II listed status in 2003 due to its historical importance.
At the beginning of the 2000s, its summit was equipped with a circular screen displaying the British Telecom logo, then in 2009 the countdown before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Open to the public in 1966, the “ 20th Century Big Ben,” as it is sometimes called, closed in 1971 following a bomb attack.
Since then, its summit has been accessible on rare occasions.
You will have to wait until the hotel opens to enjoy its panoramic view.