The BBC has confirmed its famous Maida Vale Studios - where some of the world’s greatest hitmakers have recorded music - has been sold.
The likes of David Bowie, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Dusty Springfield and Beyonce have recorded at the famed north-west London site since it was bought by the corporation 90 years ago, in 1933.
But it was put up for sale for £10.5 million in November, as the corporation planned to move to new purpose-built location at the new East Bank cultural quarter, at Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The BBC confirmed on Monday the studios have been sold to a partnership between film producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and music producers Hans Zimmer and Steven Kofsky.
A multi-million-pound refurbishment plan has been revealed for the site, but the buyers have agreed to “preserve the ethos of Maida Vale” by continuing its legacy as a centre for music-making.
Initial plans are for the premises to remain as a studio space, while a not-for-profit educational facility will also be created.
The original façade of the building, which was Grade II-listed in 2020, will be kept.
Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: “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.”
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, both film producers and co-chairmen of British film studio Working Title, said: “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.”
Mr Zimmer, who has composed scores for films including The Lion King, Gladiator, Inception, and The Dark Knight, and has own two Oscars and four Emmys, recalled his first time working at Maida Vale Studios 45 years ago.
“I still remember the strong pull, the desire to touch the walls, as if that would somehow allow me to connect to the artists whose extraordinary music had resonated against these walls on a daily basis,” he said in a statemnet.
“This was the place that kept a struggling musician like me from giving up...So now I want to close the circle: make Maida Vale Studios a place that inspires, teaches, technologically serves the arts and humanity, and gives the next generation the same opportunities I was given: to create and to never give up.”
The new BBC Music Studios in East Bank – planned to open in late 2025 – will include tailored spaces designed to accommodate the world’s biggest musical acts and ensembles.
The new studios will also be open to the public, featuring a library housing the largest sheet music collection in the world.
The BBC move is part of a wider partnership with the V&A, Sadler’s Wells, UCL and UAL’s London College of Fashion to create a new creative quarter at East Bank.
