Rooftop swimming pool part of BT Tower hotel plans
ReutersA rooftop swimming pool is part of plans to transform the BT Tower into a hotel as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment.
MCR Hotels bought the landmark in 2024 for £275m and says it wants to make the top of the tower and podium buildings accessible to the public.
Opened in 1965 by then Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the 177-metre (600ft) tower was used by television broadcasters for sending signals and was London's tallest building until the NatWest Tower in the City of London was completed in 1980.
There will be public exhibitions of the plans on 11 and 12 May between 17:30 and 19:30 BST and on 16 May from 11:30 to 13:30 in the Jeremy Bentham Room at University College London.
MCR Hotels, which is one of the largest hotel operators in the US, says it is planning "a new publicly accessible square... as well as walking routes through the site".
It wants to create shops and restaurants in what it calls "a significant economic boost for the neighbourhood, supporting local businesses through increased visitor spending".
In a statement on the consultation website, the new owner says: "MCR intends to bring one of Britain's most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel‑led, mixed‑use development that celebrates the BT Tower's rich heritage, complements Fitzrovia's historic character, and delivers meaningful placemaking and employment opportunities for the local community."
The BT Tower initially featured a revolving restaurant on the top floor, which was run by Billy Butlin, of Butlin's holiday camps.
The viewing platform was closed to the public after a bomb exploded there in 1971.
In 2003, it was awarded Grade II listed status, but it also made it to the number two spot in a survey of London's ugliest buildings that same year.
The landmark has featured in a range of films, books and television series, including the BBC's Doctor Who, The Bourne Ultimatum film and Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta.
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