A new rooftop swimming pool will be built at London’s BT Tower under plans to turn the Grade II-listed landmark into a luxury hotel.
The communications tower, a memorable mark on the skyline for tourists, 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 set to consult the public next week on its proposals for the skyscraper, formerly known as the Post Office Tower.
The project to turn the tower into a hotel will take several years, but MCR have released details of their proposals for the building, where guests could eventually take a swim 580 feet in the air.
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 closed in 1971 after a bomb exploded in the men’s toilet on the lowest floor of the public viewing galleries, with the devastating blast damaging buildings and cars up to 400 yards away.
It also forced an ingenious revolving restaurant which boasted panoramic views of the city to close.
The restaurant, which opened in 1966, was located on the 34th floor and took 22 minutes to rotate fully, as high-flying diners, including The Beatles and Muhammed Ali, were treated to gourmet menus and cocktails.
MCR Hotels, the third-largest hotel owner in the United States, is expected to consult the public next week on its proposals for the BT Tower, formerly known as the Post Office Tower
Plans also include opening the top of the BT Tower to the public for the first time in almost half a century
Members of the anarchist group, the Angry Brigade claimed responsibility for the blast, but a call was also made a person claiming to be from the Kilburn Battalion of the IRA.
While the building sustained damage, it wasn’t irreparable and unknown to the public, the tower was secretly designed to withstand a nuclear attack on London, and to serve as part of a military microwave communication network.
Years later the tower withstood the 1987 hurricane which took the roof off the Old Bailey.
Gradually, the mushroom-shaped dishes that stuck out like blisters on the tower’s already skinny waistline were removed amid advances in fibre optic technology.
And in an ever-progressing digital age, BT Group has been migrating services onto its cloud-based platform, no longer requiring the services traditionally provided by the BT Tower.
The main tower is 581 feet high, with a section of aerial rigging bringing the total height to 620 feet.
It overtook the Millbank Tower as the tallest structure in London in 1964 until the Natwest Tower was built in 1980.
MCR bought the tower for £275m from the BT Group in 2024 but progress on its plans cannot progress until BT decommissions and strips out the rest of its sensitive telecoms equipment, in a process expected to conclude around 2030.
Tragically, the revolving restaurant was closed amid 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 Labour prime minister Harold Wilson
The hotel groups proposals also include a new public square, walking routes through the site, as well as new shops and restaurants.
A project team will be hosting public consultation events throughout May at University College London, to the public the chance to see the proposals for the site.
A statement from the project team reads: ‘MCR intends to bring one of Britain’s most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel‑led, mixed‑use development that celebrates the BT Tower’s rich heritage, complements Fitzrovia’s historic character, and delivers meaningful placemaking and employment opportunities for the local community.’
