BT Group will take years to vacate iconic London landmark, which will be open to the public once work is complete

Heatherwick Studio will work with the new American owner of the BT Tower to transform it into a hotel. 

The BT Group announced today that it was selling the iconic communications structure in central London to MCR Hotels, the third largest hotel owner-operator in the US for 拢275m. 

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Source: Shutterstock

The BT Tower鈥檚 use for telecoms has been declining. Its microwave aerials were removed almost a decade ago.

Opened in 1965 by then-prime minister Harold Wilson, the tower has become a landmark on the capital鈥檚 skyline and is now grade II listed. 

At 177m, it was the tallest building in London when it opened and was not surpassed until 1980 when the NatWest Tower was built. 

Since 1984, it has been operated by the BT Group and its famous 鈥渋nfoband鈥� screen is often used to display messages to Londoners.  

But an increasing number of network operations once provided using the structure are now delivered by BT鈥檚 fixed and mobile networks, reducing its usefulness as a communications facility. 

The group will take several years to vacate the premises, due to the scale and complexity of the work to move technical equipment, giving its new owner ample time to develop proposals. 

Its conversion into a hotel will see the tower once again made open to the public, which it had been until 1971 with a restaurant on the revolving top floor. 

Thomas Heatherwick said his team were 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to be able to 鈥渞eimagine the BT Tower鈥� with MCR. 

鈥淭his is an extraordinary building and an amazing opportunity to bring it back to life,鈥� he said.  

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Tyler Morse, chief executive and owner of MCR, said: 鈥淲e are proud to become owners and custodians of the iconic BT Tower.  

鈥淲e will take our time to carefully develop proposals that respect the London landmark鈥檚 rich history and open the building for everyone to enjoy.鈥� 

MCR owns and operates several of New York鈥檚 most famous hotels, including the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, a redevelopment of Eero Saarinen鈥檚 1962 Flight Center, which received a national Architecture Award from the American Institute of Architects.  

鈥淲e see many parallels between the TWA Hotel and the BT Tower,鈥� said Morse.  

鈥淏oth are world-renowned, groundbreaking pieces of architecture. It鈥檚 been a privilege to adapt the TWA Flight Center into new use for future generations, as it will be the BT Tower.鈥� 

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