BBC sells Maida Vale Studios to Hans Zimmer

Jun 29, 2023

The BBC has sold its historic Maida Vale recording studios to a group including composer Hans Zimmer.

Maida Vale Studios was bought by the BBC in 1933 and witnessed major recordings by the likes of The Beatles, David Bowie and Dusty Springfield.

The studio was put on the market last year for around £10.5 million, amid a cash crunch at the broadcaster due to reductions in Government funding.

The BBC confirmed the site has been sold to a partnership between Working Title film studio bosses Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and Zimmer and long-time business partner Stefan Kofsky.

It will continue to be used a music recording space after the deal.

The new bosses have a multimillion-pound refurbishment plan but stressed they will keep the original facade of the building.

They will also create a not-for-profit educational facility at the site.

Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, said: “Maida Vale has played such an important part in the BBC’s history, and its significance in popular culture is huge.

“We are so pleased to secure a sale which looks to continue the bright, vibrant future of music making in this iconic building – not only providing new studio spaces but jobs and an education facility.”

The BBC has previously announced plans for its new BBC Music Studios in London’s East Bank to house performances, recordings and rehearsals for events such as The Proms.

It said the new site is expected to open in late 2025.

This was a place of revolutionary science in the service of art, this was a place that inspired you to give your best, where music was performed around the clock and art was taken seriously

Hans Zimmer

Mr Bevan and Mr Fellner said: “The venue has become part of the fabric of the UK’s pioneering cultural industry, from helping to nurture new and ground-breaking artists, to housing some of the world’s most legendary musicians.

“Through our redevelopment plans we will future-proof the historic site, continuing its presence in the local community with a new education facility, whilst creating a world-class studio space for the next generation of composers, producers, editors and engineers.”

Zimmer said: “The first time I worked for the BBC at their Maida Vale Studios was 45 years ago – I was just a kid, in awe, honoured to be booked to play on one of my first sessions.

“I still remember the strong pull, the desire to touch the walls, as if that would somehow allow me to connect to the artists whose extraordinary music had resonated against these walls on a daily basis.

“This was a place of revolutionary science in the service of art, this was a place that inspired you to give your best, where music was performed around the clock and art was taken seriously.”