Broadcasting House - Construction

Construction

Construction of Broadcasting House began in 1932, and the building opened to the BBC's offices and radio operations on 14 May 1934, eight years after the corporation's establishment. George Val Myer designed the building in collaboration with the BBC's civil engineer, M T Tudsbery. The original interiors were the work of Raymond McGrath, an Australian-Irish architect. He directed a team which included Serge Chermayeff and Wells Coates and designed the vaudeville studio, the associated green and dressing rooms, and the dance and chamber music studios in a flowing Art Deco style. It was later said of his efforts that "the designs for the BBC gave the first real fillip to industrial design in England".

The radio studios were arranged in a central location and constructed of Portland stone. The remainder of the building was steel framed and faced with Portland stone on the outside. These areas housed the offices, so that they could be both away from the noise of the radio operations, and have access to daylight. Objections by local residents also caused the structure to be changed. The east side of the building blocked out the light to local residents, and after complaints and seeking the right of ancient lights, the building was altered so that the east side of the building had a sloped roof. Underground structures, including hundred year old sewers, presented problems during construction. The building was built atop the Bakerloo line of the London Underground, while the Victoria line was in turn tunnelled beneath Broadcasting House in the 1960s, and has since presented problems for construction of the Egton Wing (see below). Noise from passing trains is audible within the radio theatre, but generally imperceptible in recordings.

The ground floor of the building was fitted with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the street, as it was believed that to finance such a project (costing £25,000,000 in today's money) they would need to let the ground floor as a retail unit. The rapid expansion of the BBC meant this never occurred.

The original building also showcases a number of works of art, most prominently the statues of Prospero and Ariel (from Shakespeare's The Tempest) by Eric Gill. Their choice was fitting since Prospero was a magician and scholar, and Ariel, a spirit of the air, in which radio waves travel. There was, reportedly, controversy over some features of the statues when first built and they were said to have been subsequently modified. They were reported to have been sculpted by Gill as God and Man, rather than simply Prospero and Ariel, and that there is a small carved picture of a beautiful girl on the back of the statue of Prospero. Additional carvings of Ariel can be found on the building's exterior in many bas-reliefs, some by Gill, others by Gilbert Bayes. The reception area also contains a statue of 'The sower' also by Gill.

The original structure is now a Grade II* listed building, and the BBC works with English Heritage on its maintenance.