Beton Bauen Complete Drone Survey at Channel 4’s Former Headquarters in the City of Westminster, London

On behalf of partners CBRE, Beton Bauen arrange a routine structural survey for the iconic “Big 4” steel sculpture, at 124 Horseferry Road.

Beton Bauen were commissioned to survey the structure, as part of pre-emptive maintenance plan, initiated by commercial real estate firm CBRE. In May 2026 it was announced that CBRE is advising Channel 4 on the £120 million sale of and leaseback of the broadcaster's iconic Grade II-listed London headquarters on Horseferry Road. Prior to this, CBRE also managed the negotiations and real estate acquisitions when Channel 4 expanded its operations regionally. This included securing their National Headquarters at The Majestic in Leeds, as well as establishing their creative hub at Finzels Reach in Bristol.

Beton Bauen has previously worked with CBRE on concrete slab repairs at Budweiser Brewing Group (Magor, Gwent), and also carried out surveys at Atradius (Cardiff Bay), and the UK government Intellectual Property Office (Newport, Gwent).

Given the height and shape of Big 4, a professional “condition investigation” on behalf of the client could only really be completed safely using a commercial drone. Beton Bauen (as project managers) appointed strategic partner and specialist company, Drone Evolution to carry out the drone-assisted visual inspection of the Chanel 4 steel structural system across Sections 1, through 8.

Good news is that the survey indicates that the framework is structurally sound, with all primary load-bearing connections appearing intact, properly aligned, and free from deformation or missing hardware. The bolted and welded joints painted white, grey, or green continue to perform their intended structural function without visible signs of distress.

Not all was straightforward, however. When using drones in a city environment, certain permissions must be applied for and granted. Permits for drone flight and authorisation/restrictions fall jointly under the jurisdiction of UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and National Air Traffic Services (NATS), respectively. Unfortunately, due to heightened security in the London area during May 2026, the survey was delayed on numerous occasions due to additional restrictions, with Beton Bauen and Drone Evolution forced to apply for temporary extensions to permits to fly, in order to comply. The drone-assisted survey was finally completed on 29 May, just days before the need to re-apply! A Bit More About "Big 4"

The design and construction of the Big 4 was a collaboration between Mike Smith Studio, Freestate (Adam Scott) and Atelier One, and was designed to show Channel 4's logo when the statue is correctly aligned, similar to how the logo formed in Channel 4's idents at the time. The statue itself is made out of steel bars, and the structure was fabricated by Mike Smith Studio. The intention was to allow other artists to use the framework of the statue for art installations. Further Reading 124 Horseferry Road (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/124_Horseferry_Road

Big 4 Sculpture (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_4_(sculpture)

For further project and service information, please visit WWW.BETONBAUEN.COM.