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BBC Wales’ £120m HQ has a leaky roof (and low-tech fix)
WHEN the BBC started broadcasting from a new £120million headquarters earlier this month, it was hailed as ‘an historic day in broadcasting’.
Designed by the company run by architect Norman Foster, the home of BBC Wales took four years to complete and is one of the nation’s most expensive buildings.
But there is one, large problem – every time it rains, the roof leaks.
Cleaners have to get out large buckets to stop the fourth floor from getting soaking wet. A source told the website Wales Online: ‘It’s a bit embarrassing really.
‘This building cost £120million and yet it doesn’t seem to be totally waterproof.
‘You wouldn’t think that this kind of problem would happen so early in the building’s life.’
BBC bosses had insisted the move into the heart of Cardiff would save money in the long-term. Its former site in Llandaff, which was home to BBC Wales for 50 years, is expected to be knocked down and sold for housing. Work on the 155,582 sq ft building, designed by Foster + Partners, started in 2015.
As well as being the BBC’s most open and accessible building, it is its first UK centre to use cutting edge Internet Protocol technology for controlling cameras, TV editing and output. Bosses, who recently announced job cuts despite another rise in the cost of the TV licence, said the leak had not affected the BBC’s operations.
A spokesman for BBC Wales said: ‘As with any new building, the occasional issue can arise and we’re working with the developer and their contractors to remedy the situation.’