The Open Guide to London: the free London guide - Differences between Version 9 and Version 8 of Telecom Tower
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summary='Round communications tower in central london' |
One of London's distinctive landmarks. AKA the BT Tower, and formerly the Post Office Tower. It's the one that looks like it should be plugged into something.
Located in Fitzrovia, postcode W1 4BG.
The tower was designed by a team from the Ministry of Public Building and Works, led by Eric Bedford. Its purpose was to transmit high frequency radio waves to help overcome the difficulty of laying cables in London. The design included observation galleries and a restaurant.
Construction began in June 1961. It was opened for operation on 8 October 1965 (with a ceremony during which the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson made a phone call to the Lord Mayor of Birmingham) and opened to the public on 9 May 1966.
The observation galleries were closed after a terrorist bomb exploded in the tower in 1971. The restaurant stayed open to the public until the owner's lease expired in 1980, but is now only used for corporate functions.
In March 2003 the tower acquired Grade II Listed Building status.
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