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200:, a luxury Japanese crystallised glass-ceramic material. Pollard favoured Neoparium over marble due to its hard wearing qualities in extreme weather conditions. When Pollard discovered the material, it was added late in the project at a great expense, but as the building was marketed as a luxury, high-specification development, this was justified. The dark tinted glass panels were customised Pilkington glass.
355:(as The Gate) to house the homeless over the Christmas 2013 period. Although the property was still available to let in December 2013 and classed as "modern TV studios/offices" by estate agent The Lorenz Consultancy, hoardings advertising Berkeley's replacement 'Vista' development were in place in January 2014. It is assumed that by this time internal soft-stripping had started.
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walls and an empty shell until last. Due to the low-rise nature of the building, the demolition was carried out using several
Komatsu, Volvo and Hitachi high-reach excavators and breakers, meaning that the deconstruction of the building was visible to the public and passengers on train services to and from London Victoria passing the site. The demolition contractor was
315:
The channel looked for an alternative location – including in several cities in the North of
England – for its 500 head office staff and studio centre. The channel's management ended broadcasting from the studios on 7 June 2012 and moved to 126,000 sq ft (11,706 m) a new studio complex
235:
Although typically referred to as 'Marco Polo House' or 'The QVC Building', Marcopolo was technically only one half of the building (the three-storey, taller side which was previously used as a television offices and studio). The other half of the adjoined structure was called originally to be called
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By 8 March 2014, exterior demolition had begun. As of the end of April 2014, the entire 'Marcopolo' side had been demolished, with the central glass atrium being eroded from the central lift areas outward; demolition of the 'Chelsea Bridge' side then proceeded from the inside, leaving the exterior
185:
In the early 1990s, the building was described as "a high-tech glass cathedral", "palatial" and "architecturally magnificent" by the press, while traditionalists mocked its playfulness and postmodern opulence. After
Postmodernism fell out of fashion, the building, like many of the style, began to
323:
Press reports suggested that the architecturally and structurally sound Marco Polo House would be demolished, and replaced with a 12-storey luxury residential development, which was later revealed to be called Vista, designed by Scott
Brownrigg. Marco Polo House's architect Pollard told the
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It is believed by many architecture critics that if the building had been allowed to stand for much longer, it would have been eligible for (and possibly have been granted) listed building status, which would have limited redevelopment options for developers capitalising on the
250:. BSB promoted their move to the building in summer 1990 by sending customised Polo mints called 'Marcopolo - A Hole New Building' with their contact details on the wrapper instead of change-of-address cards to their PR contacts. The mints are on display at the
245:
The building cost £26 million to construct in 1987 (£61.9 million at 2014's rate) and was completed in 1989, at which time it was pre-let to BSB (who moved in during August 1989, fitted it out and officially launched in 1990) and
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the plan was a move towards a "lower grade of architecture", adding: "Marco was a fun building. It was quite an iconic at the time and some people still say it is." Other critics said it was "Postmodern nonsense". The
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After a
Russian consortium bought the freehold for more than £60m in 2006, QVC decided not to renew its lease when it expired in 2012, citing expansion as the need to move.
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The distinctive, teal designer glass lifts from the central adjoining atrium, which had been installed from
Marcopolo's inception, were featured in some scenes of the 1993
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offices side (the shorter side of the building). The two blocks were linked by a large, central glass atrium which featured iconic designer lifts and sanitation services.
348:: "The new scheme looks decent, but it's always a shame to see an iconic structure knocked down, especially one that symbolises Eighties post-modernism so well."
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371:. Its demolition left Homebase Kensington as the last iconic Ian Pollard postmodern structure in London which, as of 2019, has also been demolished.
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It was originally home to
British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) television and is believed to have taken its name from its first owner's
161:(originally stylised as "Marcopolo") was a large marble-effect, glass-clad office building and TV studio at 346 Queenstown Road, facing
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The grey and white theme was echoed in silver birch trees which were planted in the forecourt of the
Chelsea Bridge Business Centre/
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Several former workers for the various companies which had resided at the building in its heyday, including journalist
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300:, the UK's first digital terrestrial television broadcaster, from 1998. The company was re-launched in 2001 as
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architect and developer Ian
Pollard through his property development company, Flaxyard, and initially used by
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469:, website of Stanhope plc, developer of the Chiswick Park site, 19 August 2010. Accessed 7 January 2011.
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The building is sometimes mistakenly described as "marble clad", but the white-and-grey cladding is
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who continued to use the ONdigital offices in the building until their subsequent demise in 2002.
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the new company kept the lease, and in
October 1993, the building became home to shopping channel
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The smaller half of the building was also used as the offices for another ill-fated broadcaster,
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The building was in a serviceable state and had not reached the end of its life. It was used by
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169:. It was built in 1987–1988 and completed in 1989 by Peter Argyrou Associates, to a design by
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Adrian Welch and Isabelle Lomholt, e-architect, Undated. Accessed 7 January 2011.
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roof outline, which Pollard supposedly said was similar to the "Mark of the
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Property Week – QVC signals end of Marcopolo House’s Battersea adventure
261:-style broken pediment had also featured on Philip Johnson's postmodern
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563:"Curse of Marco Polo House- BBC4 - Freeview - Digital Spy Forums"
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A video showing the interior during BSB days was included in the
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BSB channels (top) and their replacement by the merger (bottom)
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broadcast, which is (as of 2014) available to view on YouTube.
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newspaper was based in the building until it was acquired by
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Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Wandsworth
398:(episode: "80s Architecture with Justine Frischmann") from
521:"Eighties riverside landmark to be knocked down for flats"
236:'Chelsea Bridge Business Centre' and initially let to
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for its offices, although the Marcopolo name stuck.
541:"Twitter / theJeremyVine: Amazed that old Observer"
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491:"Marco Polo House faces demolition threat"
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139:Now owned by Berkeley Homes (West London)
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177:. The building was demolished in 2014.
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227:area regeneration in the late 2010s.
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362:Marco Polo House demolition underway
499:, London. Accessed 7 January 2011.
16:Former building in London, England
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277:and it moved to its offices in
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641:British Satellite Broadcasting
479:"QVC to move to Chiswick Park"
175:British Satellite Broadcasting
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402:as well as the feature films
392:The Curse of Marco Polo House
167:London Borough of Wandsworth
446:- "Tuesday April 26, 1990"
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814:Office buildings in London
509:"London Building : M"
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565:. Forums.digitalspy.co.uk
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281:. When BSB merged with
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112:Construction started
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405:Leon The Pig Farmer
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42:General information
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99: /
74:Coordinates
803:Categories
736:Sky Sports
721:Sky Movies
454:References
308:Demolition
131:March 2014
128:Demolished
84:51°28′48″N
50:Demolished
429:episode "
426:Red Dwarf
417:B. Monkey
400:BBC Three
298:ONdigital
225:Nine Elms
198:Neoparium
120:Completed
87:0°08′55″W
706:Sky Arts
702:Sky News
687:Retained
524:Archived
388:BBC Four
382:In media
285:to form
191:Observer
751:Extinct
672:Sky One
591:16 June
569:16 June
547:16 June
165:in the
115:1987-88
68:England
65:Country
768:Other:
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666:Galaxy
431:Legion
181:Design
47:Status
336:'
291:QVC's
287:BSkyB
136:Owner
777:Thor
593:2014
571:2014
549:2014
414:and
257:The
223:and
213:Polo
123:1989
829:QVC
783:Sky
696:Now
448:ITV
440:'s
438:IBA
433:".
316:at
283:Sky
231:Use
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