Jackson Mahr

Review of BT Tower, Compass Group

BT Tower. It's another one of those wasted opportu...

BT Tower. It's another one of those wasted opportunities. When it was built it was a source of pride, it was sophisticated, it was the future. Families, courting couples, international oil executives, all would dress in a suit, walk walk into the foyer, zip up the lifts and have a prawn cocktail in the modern, stylish revolving restaurant.

Now it's just a scar, simply due to poor planning and a lack of social responsibility.

The IRA bombed the building and the restaurant closed temporarily...five decades ago. Since then things have gotten worse. That area is tired, the building entrance is shabby and imposing, they hoisted an obnoxious, cheap looking digital sign on the roof and since it got listed status, the receiving equipment (what it was built for) has been removed due to poor maintenance. The equipment hasn't been replaced with replicas, it's just an ugly, poorly proportioned skeleton.

I'm not sure how having building listed work when you hard an unholy societal sign and remove the substance of the building, but someone terribly British in some forgotten heritage department will know the answer. You should call and ask.

So, it was once very cool and exciting and actually a real treat interns of contrasting with surrounding 19th century fitzrovia and Marylebone, but like everything else in this city, this country, it's been neglected, made uglier and the polublic can bloody-well deal with it.

Interesting from a distance, makes for some great photos if youre north of Oxford Street, but don't bother visiting. It's a shame.

(Sigh)