Isra-Mart srl: Sky cuts ribbon on Europe's greenest studios

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Last week's decision to allow Rupert Murdoch to complete his acquisition of BSkyB may have dominated the headlines, but another piece of broadcasting history has been made this week to much less fanfare with the official opening of Sky's new studio in West London.

Previously hailed as the "world's greenest broadcasting centre", broadcasting kicked off from the new Sky Studios facility this morning at 6am, when Sky Sports News went on air.

Approximately 1,300 permanent and production staff are expected to transfer to the new facility, which stands at 100 metres long and 50 metres wide, and contains eight studios, 45 edit suites and four audio suites.

The facility, which was designed by Arup Associates and constructed by Bovis Lend Lease, features a host of green technologies.

For example, natural ventilation systems for studios and offices are expected to limit the need for air conditioning, while a biomass-fuelled combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) plant will supply at least 20 per cent of the energy needed for the building's electricity and heating systems.

The studios also boast an onsite wind turbine that is expected to generate enough electricity to power 90 per cent of the building's lighting, while a variety of water efficiency measures, including rainwater harvesting systems, are expected to curb water use.

"As well as being the most sustainable broadcast facility of its kind in Europe, Sky Studios will also be the most technologically advanced," said Alistair Watters, delivery director at Sky, in a statement. "This project is set to change both the way we work and the scope of the content we deliver."