2 months ago
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London's famous BT Tower landmark will be turned into an 'iconic hotel' after the sale of the grade-II listed building was agreed at £275m to an American company.
The grade-II listed communications tower, in the Fitzrovia area of central London, was sold to MCR Hotels.
The US hotels chain owns around 150 hotels, including the historic landmark Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Hotel in New York City.
BT Group says that equipment from the tower will be progressively removed from the building, while payment for the sale will be made over multiple years, with final payment being made on completion of the purchase.
The structure, which stands at 177 metres, will be taking on a 'new purpose' in the digital age in which the tower's function has become increasingly redundant.
The grade-II listed building was first opened by Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1965
The communications tower has been noted for its unique cylindrical shape, which later featured a 360 degree coloured LED screen near the top of the tower
The tower was originally commissioned by the General Post Office (GPO) - the historic state telecommunication service which was eventually disbanded in 1969 - and was formerly known as the GPO Tower or the Post Office Tower.
Construction of the tower began in June 196 and was officially opened in 1965 by Labour prime minister Harold Wilson, and remained the tallest structure in London until 1980, when it was overtaken by the NatWest Tower.
The communications tower has been noted for its unique cylindrical shape, which later featured a 360 degree coloured LED screen near the top of the tower, and can be spotted from almost any part of central London.
The tower, which was designed by the architects Eric Bedford and G. R. Yeats, was designed to relay the microwave signals from London to other parts of the country.
Despite being such a conspicuous prominent landmark in London, the building oddly an official state secret, and could only be reffred to as 'Location 23'.
There were rumours that the tower did not even appear on Ordnance Survey maps, but this has been debunked.
In 1978, investigative journalist Duncan Campbell was tried for collecting information about secret locations. The judge ordered that the secret sites could not be identified by name.
Brent Mathews, Property Director, BT Group said: '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.'
Tyler Morse, CEO and owner of MCR Hotels, said: 'We are proud to preserve this beloved building and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for generations to enjoy.'
