The BBC has today announced that its Maida Vale recording studios have now been sold.
Maida Vale Studios were bought by the Beeb in 1933. Since then, it has seen the likes of David Bowie, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Dusty Springfield record in the building, and has become a home for the BBC Performing Groups.
Lorna Clarke, Director of Music at the BBC:
“Maida Vale has played such an important part in the BBC’s history, and its significance in popular culture is huge. We are so pleased to secure a sale which looks to continue the bright, vibrant future of music making in this iconic building – not only providing new studio spaces but jobs and an education facility.
“We look forward to being able to continue to deliver world-class music to BBC audiences with our new tailor-made BBC Music Studios in the wonderfully rich cultural district of London’s East Bank. The sale of Maida Vale comes after plans were announced in 2018 that the BBC will move its music studios and performing groups from its Maida Vale location to a new, purpose-built recording and studio space in Stratford’s cultural quarter of East Bank, residing in East London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.”
Maida Vale has been sold to a partnership between Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, and Hans Zimmer & Steven Kofsky. The purchasers have agreed that Maida Vale’s legacy as a centre for pioneering music-making will continue, with plans to keep the original façade of the building and to preserve the ethos of Maida Vale. Initial plans also state that the building will remain as a studio space, with a multi-million pound refurbishment plan for its existing studios. There will also be the creation of a not-for-profit educational facility, and a long-term commitment to providing local jobs, innovation and investment.
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Co-Chairmen of Working Title:
“Maida Vale Studios has been synonymous with artistic excellence for generations. The venue has become part of the fabric of the UK’s pioneering cultural industry, from helping to nurture new and ground-breaking artists, to housing some of the world’s most legendary musicians.
“We are thrilled to be working with our old friends Hans Zimmer and Steve Kofsky on this once in a lifetime project and collectively we are determined to continue the BBC’s legacy at Maida Vale by attracting global talent to the UK. Through our redevelopment plans we will future proof the historic site, continuing its presence in the local community with a new education facility, whilst creating a world class studio space for the next generation of composers, producers, editors and engineers.”
