London Photo Gallery - BT Tower

As part of the Open House Festival, BT Tower opened its doors to the public to see views of London from its revolving restaurant 158m above the street. A full revolution takes about 25 minutes.

Construction began in 1961 and the tower opened in 1965 as the city's tallest structure. It was a key part of the country's communications network and was even a classified location that did not appear on official maps despite being clearly visible in the skyline.

A 1971 bomb explosion led to the restaurant's closure and public access ended entirely by 1981. Off limits except for a few special occasions over the years, it re-opened again for the festival but securing one of few limited free tickets was not easy on their website.

BT Tower will soon undergo redevelopment into a luxury hotel with a rooftop pool. The revolving floor will be kept and turned into an observation deck, likely offering these views for a hefty price.

There are a few exhibits on the ground floor before the elevators.