360 Studios
Preserving Elstree and Borehamwood’s studios in three dimensions
The history of film and television production is contained not only in finished productions, documents and personal memories, but also in the spaces where the work took place.
The Elstree Project uses 360° photography, digital imaging and LiDAR scanning to document historic studio buildings, stages, workshops, production offices and exterior spaces. These technologies allow us to create detailed visual records of places that may later be altered, redeveloped, demolished or become inaccessible.
Our aim is to preserve something of the physical experience of being inside these studios, while creating resources that can support future research, education, exhibitions and public engagement.
BBC Elstree Centre — Eldon Avenue
Before the demolition of the Fairbanks Building and Neptune House at BBC Elstree Centre, The Elstree Project recorded approximately 400 panoramic images throughout the buildings.
We also undertook LiDAR scanning of Studios C and D, creating three-dimensional records of two historically important production spaces.
The resulting material preserves spaces associated with many decades of film and television production. We are continuing to process and organise this extensive collection before making more of it publicly accessible.
Elstree Studios — Shenley Road
The Project has also begun documenting stages and production spaces at Elstree Studios on Shenley Road.
Our first published 360° views explore the historic Stages 7, 8 and 9 following their refurbishment and reopening. These stages form part of a studio complex associated with internationally celebrated film and television production.
Explore Elstree Studios in 360°
Why digital preservation matters
Studio buildings are working industrial spaces and must continually adapt to changing forms of production. Sets are constructed and removed, stages are modernised, offices change use, and entire buildings may disappear.
Traditional photographs provide an important record, but 360° photography allows a space to be explored in every direction. LiDAR scanning adds accurate information about its physical dimensions and structure, creating a detailed digital record that can be revisited long after the original space has changed.
Together with our oral-history interviews and archival research, this work helps preserve both the human and physical history of Elstree and Borehamwood’s filmmaking community.
Developing the digital archive
The 360° Studios collection is an ongoing area of The Elstree Project’s research.
As further material is processed and permissions allow, new tours and digital records will be added to this section. We also welcome enquiries from studios, archives, museums and heritage organisations interested in digital documentation and collaborative research.