Hans Zimmer has reportedly bought the BBC‘s legendary Maida Vale studios in west London for £10.5million.
The report from The Daily Mail says that the legendary film composer has purchased the building to write new film scores in.
In 2018, it was announced that the lauded BBC studios were set to close by 2023, with the studios then protected from redevelopment in 2020.
Last year, Maida Vale was then put up for sale by the BBC with an asking price of £10.5million, which appears to have now been met by Zimmer.
A source in the story said of the purchase: “It is a real coup. The building is beautiful and it is so rich in history.
“It’s the kind of place that anyone who is passionate about music loves to spend time in. It is special. And it appears that vibe will continue with Hans taking it on.”
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In 2018, the BBC said it was planning to move the recording studios to Stratford in 2025, , as part of a redevelopment of the Olympic Park.
“I understand how much our musical heritage at Maida Vale means to us, to artists and to audiences,” the former BBC director general, Tony Hall, said in a note to staff at the time. “We haven’t taken this decision lightly. But we’re determined to ensure that live music remains at the heart of the BBC and moving to this new development gives us the opportunity to do just that.”
The building has been a BBC staple for 86 years, hosting sessions from The Beatles, Morrissey, Nirvana and more. It was also the site for Bing Crosby’s last recording session and was home to John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 Peel Sessions. The Fall released full albums of material recorded there.
The studios, which are held in a Grade II listed building, were first converted to studios for radio broadcast in 1934. It was also home to the BBC Symphony Orchestra until 1946.