LWT and ITV HQ to be replaced with mix use buildings

Plans approved for former ITV HQ and London Weekend Television site.

In November 2019, Mitsubishi and CO—RE secured one of the most sought after sites in central London with the purchase of ITV’s historic London Television Centre. Located on the Southbank and overlooking the river Thames – already a major destination for the arts and culture – the 2.5-acre site presented an opportunity to transform one of the most prominent and pivotal sites on the riverfront.

The ITV Studios were built by London Weekend Television – LWT – the weekend ITV broadcaster in the late 1960s. The LWT Tower, and South Bank Studios, became a landmark of the Thames skyline in London and later became the HQ of ITV. However, the studio site is set to be demolished with ITV having moved out a couple of years ago. It had become home to shows such as This Morning, GMTV, Saturday Night Takeaway and The Johnathan Ross Show.

The LWT Tower on London’s Southbank

London Weekend Television replaced ATV London (1955-68) as the weekend broadcaster on ITV in the capital, sharing its transmission area with weekday service Thames Television. Famously, there was an on-screen handover to  LWT on Friday evenings from Thames, marking ‘the start of the weekend’.

LWT was responsible for most of ITV’s weekend line-up, becoming well-known for shows such as Game for a Laugh, Surprise Surprise, Play Your Cards Right, Barrymore, On the Buses and Blind Date. It was the home of star names such as Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Tarbuck, Cilla Black, Michael Barrymore, Stanley Baxter, Larry Grayson, Dame Edna Everage, Russell Harty, Michael Aspel and Melvyn Bragg to name just a few.

Following a consultation period the Mitsubishi and CO—RE project has been given the green light from Lambeth councillors, with the scheme approved by a 6-1 majority vote. There however had been some objections. Conservation charity Historic England had raised concerns that the building could block views of the South Bank while the planners received more than 260 objections, including one from the local MP and also two local councillors failed to be impressed. CO-RE noted that they had ‘been delighted to receive over 100 letters in support’.

72 Upper Ground, SE1, the former LWT site, will have office, retail, living and recreation space.

Designed by Make Architects, the centre of the proposal focuses on a 26-storey office building that is connected to two buildings of 13 and 6 storeys. Alongside high-quality office space, including affordable workspace tailored to the needs of Lambeth’s emerging creative industries, the scheme will create new cafes and restaurants, cultural venues and green spaces.

The all-electric scheme is targeting net-zero carbon in operation along with the highest BREEAM and WELL certifications. The future well-being of office workers will be prioritised by extending the workspace outdoors with external terraces and balconies overlooking the Thames, which give greater access to fresh air and natural light.

The planning scheme can be found here