The surprise announcement marks a dramatic change of role for the 581ft high communications tower in Fitzrovia, which has been an unmissable fixture of the central London skyline since it was built in 1965.
BT, which has owned the building since 1984, said it has agreed a deal with US hotel operator MCR, which runs 150 venues including the award-winning TWA Hotel at a former flight centre at New York’s JFK airport and the Highline Hotel in Manhattan.
The company has hired one of London’s best known architects Thomas Heatherwick — creator of the new London Routemaster and the 2012 Olympic torch — “to consider how best to reimagine its use as a hotel”.
Tyler Morse, chief executive and owner of MCR Hotels, said: “We are proud to preserve this beloved building and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for generations to enjoy.
“We see many parallels between the TWA Hotel and the BT Tower. Both are world-renowned, groundbreaking pieces of architecture. It’s been a privilege to adapt the TWA Flight Center into new use for future generations, as it will be the BT Tower.”
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