Channel 4’s London HQ gets listed building status

Channel 4’s distinctive Horseferry Road headquarters has been made a listed building less than 30 years after it was built.

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said the building in Westminster, which opened in 1994, was “among the finest examples of a building in the high-tech style”.

It was designed by the firm of leading architect Richard Rogers and has been Grade II listed on the advice of Historic England.

Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said: “Television has had an enormous impact on our national life since the 1930s, but the Channel 4 headquarters is one of only a few buildings purposely designed for the industry’s needs.

“It is architecturally fascinating, as well as having great historic interest for its connection to Channel 4, which has been a major contributor to our cultural landscape since being set up as a publicly owned channel in 1982. Listing gives this impressive building greater protection and recognition.”

The building was Rogers’ first in central London after the Lloyd’s building in the city which is Grade I listed.

Catherine Croft, Director of the Twentieth Century Society said: “Although it’s much less high profile than Roger’s Lloyd’s building, both were really significant UK commissions for this outstanding practice, and both dramatically express services and structural elements externally. We put it on our 2019 Buildings at Risk list and are delighted to see it being given the protection it deserves.”

Channel 4 was set up in 1982 as a publicly owned but commercially funded broadcaster tasked with a job to “encourage innovation and experiment in the form and content of programmes.”

Among its landmark shows are the soap opera Brookside, reality show Big Brother, the Big Breakfast and comedies from Father Ted to Nathan Barley, Peep Show and Derry Girls.

It also scored major successes with a string of US imports from Friends to Roseanne, Sex and the City and Will & Grace.

The channel recently saw off an attempt to privatise it after the government scrapped plans announced during the tenure of Nadine Dorries as Culture Secretary that would have seen it sold off.

Her successor Michelle Donelan confirmed the move and also announced the channel would also be able to make and own some of its own content.

Its flagship programmes are currently made by independent production companies, with The Great British Bake Off made by Love Productions and Gogglebox by Studio Lambert.