Named as ‘Harlequin 1’, the new building will also feature a combined heat and power biomass boiler, which will provide 20% of the energy needed for the site. The wind turbine is expected to generate 90% of the green electricity needed to power the lighting of the studio.
Built at a cost of £233 million ($367.95 million), Harlequin 1 will cover an area equivalent to two New York City blocks and will feature eight state-of-the-art studios, as well as offices and broadcasting infrastructure. The facility is scheduled to open in mid-2011, and has already been awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating under the BREAM building rating system. The building will house Sky Sports and Sky entertainment channels.
The new building will feature a number of green technologies such as energy-efficient lighting; rainwater harvesting systems; green datacentre systems; and sourcing 90% of the timber used from sustainable sources and other construction materials locally. Natural ventilation system in the facility will draw fresh air in to cool the eight studios, while a series of chimneys will simultaneously draw waste heat out, reducing overall energy usage by 7.5%.
