BBC Scotland HQ

Leading the way in innovative architecture

In 2001, the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Scotland were looking for a new home in Glasgow. The brief was to design a building which could house over 1,000 staff in a 21st century broadcasting centre that was the most technically advanced in Europe.

The cream of the world's architects scratched their heads and came up with a whole host of clever designs. Five were short listed and the creation of David Chipperfield Architects (DCA) in London was chosen.

They say the simplest ideas are often the best and the plans for the BBC headquarters are a perfect example of this. DCA designed a giant glass-clad box with a sculpted interior, to house all aspects of television, radio, internet including production facilities, studios and transparent, open plan office space with spectacular views of the river.  

As a public organisation (funded by television license fees from the public) the design was to reflect  the transparency of the BBC, allowing the public to be able 'see inside' the organisation in every way.  

Towering over the river Clyde, alongside the abandoned Govan docks, the chosen site had an impressive backdrop of the river Clyde and the mountains of the Scottish highlands.

With a light and airy atrium space in the centre, the building is made up of a series of steps, platforms and terraces, allowing staff to move freely about the public spaces, encouraging creativity and aiding communication between the many different departments of the BBC.

The groundbreaking design also made the most of local Scottish materials – steel girders used in the building of the reception area were from the old Clydesdale shipyards, whilst the stone used was quarried locally.  

Former Associate director of DCA, Martin Ebert said: "We wanted to make a creative environment not a corporate building."

Six years and £72 million later, the first purpose built BBC digital headquarters in the UK was officially opened by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 20 September 2007.

The 60-acre site in which the BBC building sits is currently undergoing a huge transformation and already houses the Glasgow Science Centre, IMAX Cinema, Scottish Criminal Records Office and the Millennium Tower. The regeneration of Glasgow's Clydeside will also be complimented by the new Museum of Transport in 2010/11.

Related links

• Maggies Centres - Driving architectural innovation in cancer care
• The Regeneration of Glasgow's Clydeside
• Architecture student Nirupa Puliyel
• Scotland's iconic buildings: an aerial tour of Scotland
• David Chipperfield Architects
• BBC Scotland