A group of music and film heavyweights led by Hans Zimmer has taken one step further in its plans to transform the BBC's historic former Maida Vale Studios into a "state-of-the-art" music centre.
Following the sale of the building to in 2023 for an estimated £10.5 million, a public consultation took place last year that invited local partners to offer feedback on the proposed development.
That consultation has now ended, and a planning application has been submitted by Mavis Partnership LLC, a group led by Zimmer that includes business partner Steve Kofsky and British film producers Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan. Westminster City Council will review the application on April 1.
The application details plans to build two separate wings for music and film. The "Audio wing" will feature four "world-class" music studios alongside several additional composer suites and 30 music practice rooms, while the "Visual wing" will contain "high-tech facilities" for film post-production, including sound stages, foley studios, screening rooms and editing suites.
Originally constructed in 1909 as an ice rink, the Grade II-listed Maida Vale Studios has played host to artists such as The Beatles, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Beyoncé, and was the home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1934. The historic BBC Radiophonic Workshop was based at Maida Vale until its closure in 1998.
In 2018, the BBC announced plans to move its live music hub to a new facility in East London, a decision opposed by a number of artists, including Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Geoff Barrow of Portishead.
“The proposed studio will be one of the only such facilities in the world and the first in the UK, creating a venue of national importance to UK creative industries," reads a statement on the group's website.
"These proposed upgrades will set new benchmarks for excellence in British film and music post-production, fostering the creation of new jobs, driving innovation, and promoting industry investment."
