The BT Tower could be home to a rooftop swimming pool, public square and walking routes.
The BT Tower has long been an icon on the London skyline. Over the years, it has served many purposes: a telecommunications centre, a revolving restaurant, a signifier of how to get home, and soon it may well have people swimming on its rooftop. MCR Hotels acquired the landmark and will transform it into a luxury hotel – and has now proposed that the BT Tower should include a rooftop pool.
The BT Tower first opened in 1964, and few could have imagined that one day people might be swimming on the rooftop. It originally featured a revolving restaurant run by Billy Butlin, but closed to the public following a bombing in 1971. In 2003, the building received Grade II listed status and has since become a fixture in popular culture, appearing in Doctor Who, The Bourne Ultimatum and V for Vendetta.
In 2024, MCR Hotels announced plans to turn the tower into a luxury hotel. Originally, designer Thomas Heatherwick was part of the project – he is the creative force behind the capital’s bendy buses, Coal Drops Yard and Google’s London headquarters. He has since stepped away, and architecture firm Orms, which worked on Outernet London, will now lead the design.
The newly revealed proposals are ambitious and aim to open the historic site to the public in a new way. Plans include a rooftop swimming pool, public square and walking routes, which would allow visitors access to parts of the tower and podium buildings. There are also proposals for shops and restaurants.
Before the plans are finalised, members of the public are being invited to share their views at consultation events taking place at UCL’s Jeremy Bentham Room in May. Have your say.
Where: BT Tower, 60 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JZ
Contact: www.mcrhotels.com