Preserving Elstree and Borehamwood’s studios in three dimensions

Studios are more than the films and programmes made inside them. Their stages, offices and workshops are part of the history too.

The Elstree Project uses 360° photography and LiDAR scanning to record studio spaces as they are today, creating digital records that can still be explored when buildings change or disappear.

A panoramic view inside a BBC Elstree Centre studio space

BBC Elstree Centre — Eldon Avenue

Before the demolition of the Fairbanks Building and Neptune House, The Elstree Project recorded more than 400 panoramic images of the buildings. The collection documents stages, dressing rooms, offices, technical spaces and the former sets of Holby City.

LiDAR scanning also recorded Studios C and D, adding detailed three-dimensional records of two important production spaces.

Explore the BBC Elstree Centre virtual tour
A 360-degree view inside Stage 7 at Elstree Studios

Elstree Studios — Shenley Road

The Project has begun documenting stages and production spaces at Elstree Studios. The first published 360° views explore Stages 7, 8 and 9 after their refurbishment and reopening.

These tours offer an opportunity to look around working studio spaces associated with generations of film and television production.

Explore Elstree Studios in 360°

Why digital preservation matters

Studio buildings continually adapt to changing forms of production. Sets are built and removed, stages are modernised, offices change use, and buildings may be redeveloped or lost.

360° photography lets viewers look around a space in every direction. LiDAR scanning records its dimensions and structure. Together with oral-history interviews and archival research, these methods help preserve both the physical and human history of Elstree and Borehamwood’s filmmaking community.

Developing the digital archive

The 360° Studios collection is an ongoing part of The Elstree Project’s research. Further tours and digital records will be added as material is processed and permissions allow.

Studios, archives, museums and heritage organisations interested in digital documentation or collaborative research are welcome to get in touch.