Outside the box: Transforming BBC Television Centre

last updated 13 January 2017

Once a regular and recognisable sight on the small screen, the famous Television Centre is undergoing a major transformation, turning the former home of the BBC into an ambitious project encompassing 950 new homes and a plethora of restaurants, entertainment and green spaces.

Due to complete later this year, the most recent addition to the scheme is a second outpost of the popular Chelsea dining destination Bluebird Cafe, with the new larger premises promising a cafe, bar, deli and outdoor terrace. It will sit alongside a number of other restaurants set to open within the building, joined by a four-screen cinema for residents and a new Soho House site, which will comprise a 47-bedroom hotel, rooftop pool and private members' club.

Once lovingly referred to as 'the concrete doughnut' by the late Sir Terry Wogan, in the last decade the White City landmark has gained Grade II-listed status for many of its architectural elements – a showcase for mid-century design – which hold a special place in the nation's hearts. Among its most distinctive features is the circular courtyard, the Helios, where a statue of the Greek god stands. This outdoor space will be open to the public for the first time, while the apartments that overlook the space are set to become some of the most sought-after in west London.

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The broadcasting organisation's legacy will also be retained – and paid tribute to – in various ways. BBC Worldwide has already returned its headquarters to the location, while three of the centre's main television studios, which have hosted countless hits such as Strictly Come Dancing and Top of the Pops, are set to reopen in 2017, ensuring it's not the last we'll see of the centre on our screens.