TV-am building
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Terry Farrell has left little room for compromise. Either you love his TV am building, or you hate it
Richard Bryant Download Original
Theatrical and functional, Postmodern TV centre with distinctive rooftop eggcups, built alongside a canal in Camden
The studio replaces a disused 1950’s garage and makes use of an existing 1920’s warehouse on a site between a canal and one-way street. The curved street façade, clad in black and grey ceramic-faced concrete blockwork, is terminated at each end by large T, V, a, m letters protruding from the wall announcing the building. A Skeletal arch with coloured banding supports a mutilated keystone over the entrance to the forecourt.
The entrance courtyard, which is large enough for cars to turnaround in, leads into the spectacular double height atrium incorporating the Japanese pavilion, one of the many architectural styles used in the building.
The canalside façade remains largely as found, with some colourful interventions. The painted brick sawtooth parapet, with glassfibre eggcup pinnacles presents an exciting front to Camden Lock.
Data
- Completed: 1983
- Sectors: Arts and culture, Office
- Total cost: £5M
- Address: Breakfast Television Centre, Hawley Crescent, Camden Lock, London, NW1 1NN, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Terry Farrell and Partners
- Project architect: Terry Farrell
- Client: TV-am
- Acoustics: Sandy Brown Associates
- Structural engineer: Peter Brett
- Cost consultant: Gleeds
- Main contractor: Ballast Wiltshier
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