Architectural vision

An empathetic setting…
One of the principal aspirations for this project is to enhance the setting of Broadcasting House and All Souls church and to terminate the view up Regent Street - arguably one of the most important vistas in London.

In the new development, the Portland stone promontory of Broadcasting House facing south down Regent Street is balanced by the BBC's new East wing which looks towards the spire of the church. A tripartite conversation therefore emerges between Broadcasting House, the new development and All Souls church.

In addition, the convexity of Broadcasting House is complemented by the concavity of the new development's façade. This creates a cyclorama around the new public space behind the church.

New public spaces…
A range of new public spaces is created at the heart of the new complex, opening up the building and creating dialogue between audiences/visitors and BBC staff.

In the central space between Broadcasting House and the new East wing is a wide open piazza large enough to be used as an open-air theatre, where events could be staged on special occasions such as the Regent Street Festival. Or else it could be simply a place to linger in and relax in – away from the bustle of nearby Oxford Street. It complements the formal performance space of the Radio Theatre within Broadcasting House itself.

In addition, there is a new public arcade, running through the centre of the site, which provides a much-needed foyer for the Radio Theatre and other public facilities. This arcade will open into a wider public space which will be a stimulating destination with a variety of attractions, education facilities, multi-media spaces, shops, kiosks, cafés, exhibition and performance areas to engage visitors and BBC staff.

Off the arcade, is the main staff entrance and visitor reception. Through this the lofty structure over the newsroom can be glimpsed.

The news hub…
At the heart of the building is the newsroom, a column-free space, surrounded by technical areas and day-lit by the eight-storey high atria above. About twice the size of the largest floor available in Television Centre, this will be one of the largest live newsrooms in the world.

As the backdrop to television studios, the newsroom will form part of the iconic public identity of the BBC.

Transparency and opacity…
Finally, a unity of texture and material across the development will be achieved by using Portland stone, the traditional material of the original Broadcasting House - and of most of Regent Street - in the new East wing.

As a backdrop to these two wings (the original Broadcasting House and the new East wing), the new concave extension has a vast glass façade, which will create transparency and open up – literally - the activity of the BBC to visitors and passers by.

The glass has also been specially treated, so that its transparency and opacity can vary, creating diverse and dynamic lighting effects in the daily life cycle of the building.