The comprehensive redevelopment of the iconic Television Centre site in White City, West London—the former headquarters of the BBC—has progressed significantly as Mitsui Fudosan celebrated the topping out of its Phase 2 structures.
The buildings structurally completed are The Ariel, a 25-storey residential tower providing 167 homes designed by AHMM, and Scenery House, a mid-rise residential block containing 180 homes designed by dRMM.
The milestone was observed with a traditional Japanese Sake Barrel Breaking Ceremony, known as ‘kagami-biraki’. Adhering to this custom, representatives from the client, Mitsui Fudosan, the development manager, Stanhope, and the main contractor, Multiplex, used a wooden mallet to break open the lid of the sake barrel before raising a celebratory toast to the progress achieved on site.
Once finished, these two developments will collectively deliver 347 new homes, which range from studio apartments to larger townhouses intended for local families, totalling 470,000 sq ft of residential space. Both buildings are currently scheduled for completion during Q3 2027 and introduce the distinct creative visions of two Stirling Prize-winning architectural firms to the White City area. These join the recently completed Macfarlane Place, which was delivered at the end of 2024 and provides 142 affordable homes for Peabody across two buildings, having been designed by Maccreanor Lavington, who is also a recipient of the Stirling Prize.
The overall scheme, which will ultimately deliver nearly 1.5 million sq ft of development across the former BBC site, represents one of Mitsui Fudosan’s most significant and ambitious projects globally. The masterplan, conceptualised by AHMM, is fundamentally focused on the reinvention of the iconic Grade II listed Television Centre building and its immediately recognisable rotunda, complemented by the creation of new outdoor spaces by landscape architects Gillespies.
The buildings forming Phase 2 of the masterplan have been consciously designed to possess unique character while complementing both each other and the structures already established throughout the wider estate. These specific buildings will finalise the masterplan and further integrate the site with the local community by creating a new pedestrian connection through interlinking streets leading directly to Hammersmith Park.
Takeshi Iwama, Chief Executive of Mitsui Fudosan UK, commented: “The topping out of Phase 2 of the Television Centre masterplan marks a significant milestone in both the realisation of the original masterplan for the site and the wider White City regeneration area vision to deliver homes throughout the area. Television Centre is part of a regeneration project which includes Westfield shopping centre, White City Place (formerly the BBC’s headquarters) and Imperial College London which seeks to bring together a rich mix of communities across the area. It demonstrates Mitsui Fudosan’s continuing commitment to London, the living sector, quality design and sustainable construction.”
The expansive 14-acre Television Centre site is held by a joint venture partnership between Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo, with Stanhope acting as the asset manager.
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