BBC Pacific Quay
BBC Pacific Quay view from the Clyde
General information
Architectural style	Post-modern
Location	Glasgow
Address	Pacific Quay, Pacific Drive, Glasgow, G51 1DA
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	55°51′29″N 4°17′27″W / 55.8580°N 4.2909°W / 55.8580; -4.2909
Current tenants	BBC One Scotland BBC Scotland BBC Alba BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
Opened	20 September 2007
Cost	£72 million
Owner	BBC
Design and construction
Architect(s)	David Chipperfield Architects Keppie Architects
Website
www.bbcstreet.co.uk

BBC Pacific Quay is BBC Scotland's television and radio studio complex at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, Scotland. Opened by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 20 September 2007,^[1] the studios are home to BBC Scotland's television, radio and online services and the headquarters of the BBC in Scotland.

Location

The studios are located adjacent to the Glasgow Science Centre, across the river from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and adjacent to the studios of commercial broadcaster STV. The new building is one of the most modern digital broadcasting facilities in the world, complete with the BBC's first HD-capable newsroom.

Functioning

Television studio facilities based at BBC Pacific Quay were rebranded as "Street @ BBC Scotland" in 2018.^[2]

There are three main television studios based at BBC Pacific Quay:

• Studio A is the largest television studio at the complex, with 8,417 sq ft (782 m²) of studio floor space. It can easily accommodate studio audiences of up to 320.
• Studio B is the small to medium-sized studio, with 2,594 sq ft (241 m²) of studio floor space. Small studio audiences of up to 100 can be accommodated in Studio B.
• Studio C is the smallest studio, with 1,938 sq ft (180 m²) of studio floor space. It is the home to BBC Scotland's flagship news programme Reporting Scotland, and is also used for local news, politics and current affairs programming for BBC Scotland. Because of this, it is usually not available for use by other productions.

In addition, the Quay stage studio is used to host musical performances in front of a studio audience; acts have included KT Tunstall, Texas and The Fratellis.^[3][4][5] The central feature of the complex is used to record interviews, host political programming and transmit webcasts such as Authors Live.^[6]

The complex also houses facilities needed for television productions, such as nine dressing rooms, large green rooms, audience lounge, make up, wardrobe, production offices and full studio technical support services.^[7][8][9]

The complex also houses six radio studios used for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and other radio stations.

History

The BBC had outgrown their old headquarters in Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow.^[10] In July 1999 the BBC announced that around 800 staff would be moving to a new building that would be located at Pacific Quay.^[11] The BBC held a competition to design a new building with more than seventy companies attracted. By March 2001 there was a shortlist of seven entries.^[12]

The building

The £72 million project on the River Clyde in Glasgow was designed by David Chipperfield Architects, but Keppie Architects took control in late 2004.^[13] It is home to the biggest TV recording space to be built in Scotland and has an area of 782 m² (8,420 sq ft) with a new retractable stand seating for 320 audience members, although the studio can sit a maximum audience of 338 people.