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BT Tower London: A Nuclear-Resilient Microwave Landmark and Postwar Communications Heart
Overview
The B1M chronicles the GPO Tower, later known as BT Tower, a 177-metre cylinder that reshaped London's and the United Kingdom's communications. Rising in the early 1960s, it was engineered to withstand a nuclear blast, host a revolving restaurant, and serve as the central node of a national microwave network that linked Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and beyond. The design by Eric Bedford prioritized wind resistance and precise alignment of microwave dishes, using a massive concrete raft and a towering core. Over time, fibre optics and changing tech reduced its public function, transforming the tower into a symbol of post‑war ambition and modern infrastructure, now poised for a new life as a hotel while preserving a landmark of architectural and engineering significance.
Origins and Context
In the wake of World War II, Britain faced an urgent need to modernize infrastructure and restore nationwide communications. The General Post Office (GPO) managed postal, telephone, and television services and faced bottlenecks with copper cables and limited trunk routes. A microwave relay network promised to carry calls and TV signals wirelessly across long distances, but required tall, unobstructed lines of sight. A central London node would connect regional towers across the country, becoming a symbol of a modern Britain.
Design and Engineering
Eric Bedford, the Ministry of Public Building and Works chief architect, proposed a cylindrical reinforced concrete shaft, 177 metres high, optimized for wind resistance and exact microwave dish alignment. The tower needed to shift no more than 25 centimetres in winds up to 150 km/h. Foundations were unusually complex: a 27 by 27 metre square raft with six cable layers, topped by a concrete pyramid to support a 13,000-tonne structure. The core housed two high‑speed lifts, while cantilevered platforms carried large aluminium microwave dishes, creating a futuristic, yet highly functional beacon on the London skyline.
Construction and Operation
Construction began in 1961 with an innovative climbing crane and formwork system that allowed sections to rise weekly. By 1963 the tower reached its full height, and upper floors received gear and dishes that forged a nationwide microwave network. With more than 50 dishes at its peak, the central node connected relay towers across Britain, supporting telephone, television, and data traffic for a rapidly modernizing country. The tower opened on October 8, 1965, with a public revolving restaurant on the 34th floor that turned every 23 minutes, captivating Londoners even as the building served strategic Cold War purposes.
Public Landmark, Secrecy, and Decline
Beyond its architectural ambition, the BT Tower embodied Cold War resilience. Its location, design, and sometimes secretive status meant it did not appear on official maps and photos could be restricted under the Official Secrets Act. In 1971 a Provisional IRA bombing damaged the restaurant, underscoring the perceived vulnerability of infrastructure. By the 1980s fibre optics and higher-capacity cables began to erode the original microwave advantage, leading to decommissioning of the restaurant and a shift toward a purely communications role. The tower’s silhouette remained, but its function evolved with technology, marking a transition from public spectacle to essential infrastructure.
Legacy and Transformation
Today the tower stands largely free of its dishes, but its legacy informs urban planning and architectural preservation. It sits in Fitzrovia, a uniquely siloed site that preserved sightlines to the tower and restricted nearby high rises for decades. Now, with BT selling the tower to a developer and Heatherwick Studio reimagining it as a hotel, the BT Tower represents a dialogue between mid‑century modernism and contemporary design. It remains a monument to post‑war ambition and the continuous evolution of Britain’s communications landscape.