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The new MasterChef Studios at Digbeth Loc. Studios has transformed the historic Grade II listed Banana Warehouse alongside Birmingham’s Grand Union Canal into a state-of-the-art television production facility. The development provides purpose-built studio space for the BBC’s flagship MasterChef.

Wintech were appointed to  deliver the detailed Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) design and coordination for the project. Our role involved developing integrated building services solutions that supported the operational requirements of the facility whilst respecting the constraints of the historic structure and heritage setting.

A key aspect of the design was the careful coordination of the ventilation systems to ensure they met the acoustic performance requirements of the building. The team developed solutions to control noise transfer through the services installations, enabling the ventilation strategy to integrate successfully with the high acoustic ratings achieved by the internal partitions and studio spaces.

Externally, the project required a carefully considered lighting strategy due to its location adjacent to the canal corridor and within the historic Warwick Bar Conservation Area. The design balanced safety and security requirements with environmental considerations, including minimising light spill and potential impacts on local bat populations, while respecting the character of the surrounding heritage setting.