The Main Access Corridor

Running the entire length of the television studios complex is an access corridor. Each of the two studios has doorways which lead out onto this corridor, as do the ancillary rooms situated between Studio A and Studio B. Once in the corridor, several additional smaller rooms lead off to the side (the studios are on the left and the smaller additional rooms to the right in this photograph). These were originally dressing rooms, storage rooms for scenery and equipment and there was also a small canteen for BBC staff and artists.

Today, the corridor is completely dark except for two small red lights in the emergency exit signs which still have electricity connected to them. It was only through the flash of the camera that so much detail was able to be seen in the photograph above. In reality, this area is pitch dark. As you can see, some of the carpet is still on the floor, and much of the original wood panelling either side remains. The doors however, have all long since had their signs removed and all were locked when this picture was taken.

Though it is not in any danger of decay, as the corridor is not readily accessible from the studio areas, nor it it open to the outside elements, this area is probably the most original now remaining from the television period.

The importance of this building as a national heritage site cannot be underestimated. While funding from many sources, such as the lottery, is liberally thrown at buildings such The Dome, which has no heritage value whatsoever, Alexandra Palace, and the site of the world's first regular television broadcasts, continues to fall further and further into disrepair.