BT Tower
1st November 2010
Last Thursday, Cityscape’s photographers visited the BT Tower, to check out a view of a nearby development site that we may be working on soon. Despite the lack of clear blue skies, we were fortunate enough to experience some very interesting views of the City and Shard construction site.
I do not think you ever quite lose the thrill of accessing areas emblazoned with signs saying “Not open to the public”. Brian Storer, Senior Projects Manager at BT, treated us to a tour of the working areas of the Tower (no cameras allowed) and a brilliant talk on some of the equipment, including the spectacularly-named Time Division Multiplex, Main Distribution Frame and Switch Room. The sheer scale of operations at the tower is fairly mind blowing and was a wonderful bonus to what was already a great experience.
Along with The Gherkin, it is definitely one of the most spectacular vistas across London.
About the BT Tower
The Tower was largely closed to the public in the early 1970s amid growing security threats, but has continued to use it for corporate entertaining. The restaurant level was closed in 1980, finally restricting access to invitation-only.
The Tower was opened by Harold Wilson in 1965, (known at the time as the Post Office Tower) and was the tallest building in London until the NatWest Tower was opened in the City in 1981.The tower was officially opened to the public on 16 May 1966 by Tony Benn and Billy Butlin (who owned and operated the restaurant section).
Photographers
Joel Azopardi, Oliver Card, Rachel Ferriman
