Fancy cooling off in a public pool 580ft above London? You may be able to one day…
At the BT Tower in London, World War II. A new rooftop swimming pool is to be built as part of plans to transform the grade-listed landmark into a luxury hotel.
The communications tower, an unforgettable symbol on the tourist skyline in the Fitzrovia area of central London, was sold to MCR Hotels in 2024.
MCR Hotels, the third-largest hotel owner in the United States, is preparing to hold a public consultation next week on its proposals for the skyscraper formerly known as the Post Office Tower.
The project to transform the tower into a hotel will take several years, but MCR has published details of its proposals for the building, where guests could eventually swim 150 meters high.
Plans also include opening the top of the BT Tower to the public for the first time in almost half a century.
The observation decks at the top of the tower were closed in 1971 after a bomb exploded in the men’s restroom on the bottom floor of the public viewing galleries, damaging buildings and cars 400 meters away.
It also forced the closure of an ingeniously designed revolving restaurant with panoramic views of the city.
Opened in 1966, the restaurant was located on the 34th floor and took 22 minutes to spin completely, serving gourmet menus and cocktails to high-flying diners including The Beatles and Muhammad Ali.
MCR Hotels, the third-largest hotel owner in the United States, is expected to hold public consultations next week for the BT Tower, formerly known as the Post Office Tower.
Plans also include opening the top of BT Tower to the public for the first time in almost half a century.
Responsibility for the explosion was claimed by anarchist group the Angry Brigade, but a man claiming to be from the IRA’s Kilburn Battalion was also sought.
Although the building suffered no irreparable damage and was unknown to the public, the tower was secretly designed to withstand a nuclear attack on London and serve as part of the military microwave communications network.
Years later the tower withstood the 1987 tornado that blew the roof off the Old Bailey.
Thanks to advances in fiber optic technology, the mushroom-shaped plates that protruded like bubbles from the already thin waist of the tower were gradually removed.
In the ever-advancing digital age, BT Group is moving services to its cloud-based platform, no longer requiring the services traditionally provided by BT Tower.
The main tower is 581 feet high, and a section of aerial equipment increases the total height to 620 feet.
In 1964 it surpassed Millbank Tower as the tallest structure in London until the Natwest Tower was built in 1980.
MCR bought the tower from BT Group for £275 million in 2024, but progress on its plans won’t be able to proceed until BT decommissions and removes the rest of the sensitive telecommunications equipment, a process expected to be completed around 2030.
Tragically, the revolving restaurant was closed due to security fears after a bomb exploded in the men’s toilet on the 31st floor
Construction of the tower began in June 1961 and was officially opened in 1965 by Labor prime minister Harold Wilson.
The hotel group’s proposals also include a new public square, walkways throughout the site, and new shops and restaurants.
A project team will be hosting public consultation events at University College London throughout May for the public to get the chance to view proposals for the site.
A statement from the project team reads: ‘MCR aims to bring one of Britain’s most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel-led, mixed-use development that celebrates the rich heritage of the BT Tower, complements the historic character of Fitzrovia and provides meaningful placemaking and employment opportunities for the local community.’
