I s s u e 4 Dispatches from Television Centre Design Sneak preview: First look at the new Television Centre Heritage Round and around we go: A brief history of circular buildings Food Holy Kricket! Indian flavours meet British ingredients transmission 1 WELCOME WELCOME Homecoming Filming, acting, writing, revelry – Television Centre has had a multitude of functions, but i t ’ s n e v e r b e e n a p l a c e w h e r e p e o p l e l i v e d . B u t a l l o f t h a t i s n o w c h a n g i n g . T h e h o a r d i n g s are coming down, the moving vans are pulling i n a n d n e w r e s i d e n t s a r e e m e r g i n g . Te l e v i s i o n Centre is opening its doors once again. Television Centre To r i n g i t a l l i n , w e t a k e a b e h i n d t h e 89 Wood Lane London W12 7FA scenes preview of the regenerated Television 020 8811 8720 C e n t r e , j u s t a f e w w e e k s a h e a d o f i t s o f fi c i a l Live at Television Centre. televisioncentre.com reopening celebrations this spring. While Cover image: at it, we meet the neighbours at a thriving John Piper mosaic mural at Television Centre, by W h i t e C i t y P l a c e, tuck into British-Indian Guy Archard fusion at Kricket, a n d fl i p t h r o u g h a f e w of transmission is edited the many television programmes in production and produced by dn&co. dnco.com Du Yukai Illustration: a g a i n a t Te l e v i s i o n C e n t r e . 2 3 PREVIEW LOCALPREVIEW AREA Behind the scenes: a p r e v i e w o f Television Centre In these very first photos, the Photography reimagined Television Centre Guy Archard shines like a new penny 4 5 PREVIEW PREVIEW At almost sixty years old, Television Centre To furnish communal areas like the lobby, London looks good for its age. For the team of architects interior designer Suzy Hoodless was enlisted to and designers transforming the building from a imbue a contemporary sensibility while remaining television-making factory to a collection of homes – sympathetic to the past. As she puts it, it was it was important to keep it that way. important to celebrate the ’50s heritage, without Television Centre is a Grade II* listed building. being ‘slavishly driven by it.’ Its features of special historic interest are largely Sitting on the tables in both the lobby and the concentrated in the lobby, a space where just screening room is a first look at a bespoke china set about every British television personality in the by William Edwards, decorated in a pattern inspired last half of the 20th century has walked through by the Helios and John Piper mosaic. on their way to work. They would have been greeted The residents’ lounge, another design by Suzy by an imposing mosaic mural by the renowned Hoodless, is a retreat for residents, complete with British artist John Piper, now restored to its former plush sofas and well-stocked Vitsoe bookshelves. lustre. Ditto the original floors and timber cladding, It opens out onto the courtyard, where new all vestiges of the mid-century optimism that this landscaping will be planted in time for spring. The place was built to represent. iconic Helios statue stands in the middle of the The cantilevered staircase, pictured left with courtyard, restored and gleaming in gold, radiating its bold ‘5’ floor graphic, is another original feature a befitting sense of triumph. that would have rarely been seen by the public. Clockwise from top left: The bookshelf in the residents’ lounge; an original floor number; soft furnishings in the lobby; the screening room. Opposite page: William Edwards bespoke china for Television Centre. Previous page: The new Helios signage and the welcoming front lobby. 6 7 PAUL INSTITUTE HERITAGE Image courtesy of Dhillon Shukla 1 1 Elusive R&B artists Jai Paul, A.K. Paul and Muz Azar announce the launch of the Paul Institute at White City Place 2 A n e w i n s t i t u t i o n “Jai Paul, Pictured for the First Time in Years, in a new home,” says Azar. It’s a big moment, too, Real Estate Magazine” reads the headline in Noisey, for White City Place as the burgeoning creative Vice Media’s music-only spinoff. The cult musician campus comes into its own as a hub for tech, is wearing a high-vis jacket and a hard hat, pictured fashion, media and now music. 3 alongside his Ivor Novello-winning brother A.K. The announcement was quickly followed by Paul, long-term collaborator Muz Azar and two two new releases, both produced by the Paul suited representatives from Stanhope. brothers: one by Ruthven, a former firefighter from The surprise appearance comes with the Lewisham, and the other by Fabiana Palladino, a announcement of the Paul Institute, a growing songwriter who has collaborated with Mercury collective of musicians, artists and technologists. Prize winner Sampha and acclaimed singer/ Paul and his collaborators, who typically operate songwriter Jessie Ware. Both tracks shot to the deep beneath the radar, remain mum about what top two positions in Spotify’s viral chart. exactly they’ll do from the space, but we do know This isn’t how Jai Paul’s fans would have it will be home for their eponymous record label, expected to hear from him, six years after he whose ambition is to support and nurture up-and- released the influential tracks ‘BTSTU’ and coming British music talent. ‘Jasmine’, and subsequently disappeared from The Institute will move into the rotunda at public eye. But when it comes to this enigmatic Full circle White City Place, a space formerly occupied by R&B artist, fans have learned by now to expect the BBC’s discotheque. “West London is the place the unexpected. To celebrate Television Centre’s iconic doughnut shape, where it all started for us and we can’t think of a With more to come as they move into their more suitable place than the rotunda to call our new home, watch this space. Du Yukai Illustrations: we round up a brief history of circular buildings 8 9 HERITAGE HERITAGE 1 Television Centre 5 Marina City London, 1960 Chicago, 1968 After he was commissioned A building of musical and 4 to design Television Centre, architectural merits: Chicago’s architect Graham Dawbarn was Marina City was designed in exactly where you’d expect an 1959, completed in 1968 and architect to go when faced with immortalised in 2001 on the such an irregularly shaped plot cover of Wilco’s seminal album of land. He went to the pub. The Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. At the time legend goes that the circular of its completion, it was one of shape of Television Centre was the tallest structures built from 5 born that night, inspired by a reinforced concrete. question mark Dawbarn doodled on the back of an envelope. 6 Pantheon Rome, 113–125 AD 2 Amazon Spheres The Pantheon was initiated by Seattle, in construction Roman emperor Hadrian to be a These three bio-domes at the temple ‘for all gods.’ Almost two downtown Seattle headquarters thousand years later, it’s a line will house foliage from around the item high on any Roman tourist’s world, creating the tech giant’s itinerary. Indeed, it attracts nearly very own conservatory. A full-time 7 million visitors annually and last horticulturist isn’t the first job year it was announced the city posting one would expect from would start charging an entrance Amazon, but who else to tend for fee. (‘We just have to figure out the 300 plant species? where to put the ticket office,’ the Italian culture minister said.) 3 Hakka Walled Villages Various locations in China, 7 Jetavanaramaya Stupa 17th century onwards Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, The Hakka are a nomadic 4th century AD Chinese people. When they Sri Lanka’s Jetavanaramaya moved to southern China in Stupa lies at the heart of the the 17th century, they needed ancient city of Anuradhapura architecture that could protect – once an important capital them from clashes with their new that was abandoned after it neighbours. These walled villages was invaded in 993 AD. After housed up to 800 people within centuries left to the jungle, it walls nearly 1m thick. They circle now has Unesco designation. around a communal courtyard, At 122m in height, the stupa is with separate spaces inside for one of the tallest structures in an armoury, living quarters, food the ancient world, made from 6 7 storage and worship. an estimated 93.3 million bricks baked from stone and clay. 4 Niterói Contemporary Art Museum Go see Television Centre’s Niterói, Brazil 1996 famous ‘doughtnut’ building This late-career work by Oscar and Helios statue from late Niemeyer features those very February. sumptuous curves the Brazilian modernist is known for.