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LOCATIONS FOCUS: LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
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What is the history of your location?
The London Stock Exchange is one of the world’s oldest stock exchanges and can trace its history back more than 300 years. Starting life in the coffee houses of 17th century London, the Exchange quickly grew to become the City’s most important financial institution. Over the last three centuries, the Exchange has led the way in developing a strong, well-regulated stock market and today lies at the heart of the global financial community.
For more than 200 years (since 1802), Old Broad Street was home to the Exchange in one form or another. The 26-storey office block including a 23,000 sq ft trading floor was built on the site in 1972.
In 1986, trading changed from being conducted face-to-face to being performed via computer and telephone in separate trading rooms.
In 2000, the City Media Centre opened and broadcasters such as the BBC, CNN, CNBC and Sky began reporting on the stock markets live from the Exchange.
In 2004, the Exchange moved to new headquarters, without a trading floor but with a brand new media complex.
What does it mean to the local people?
The new headquarters in Paternoster Square, next to St Paul’s Cathedral is considered to be the heart of London’s financial centre and also a landmark to visiting tourists.
How long has it been used as a location for the film/broadcast industry?
Ever since crews were allowed to film the trading floor back in the 1970s. But the end of ‘physical’ trading in 1986 meant in the years following there was a lack of modern imagery and footage of the Exchange in the media – images of traders on the floor were by then out of date. That was until crews began filming from the Exchange again in 2000.
The brand new Media & Business Complex was designed to accommodate the specific needs of our broadcast and event clients and was launched at the new headquarters in 2004. The new headquarters has provided the filming location for recent productions such as The Apprentice and The Russian Apprentice.
A new ‘market open’ event was introduced to mark the opening of the financial markets each morning. The Source, a dynamic art piece in the main atrium, has now become a symbol for the start of the day’s trading.
What makes it so attractive as a filming location?
The Exchange is a global landmark for modern business and finance so it is the perfect location for productions on related subjects. In addition to the broadcast facility, there is also a suite of event spaces including a 120-seat theatre with connectivity to broadcast via ISDN, IP or BT Tower.
What do you like the most about it?
The modern civic architecture combined with broadcast technology and the prestige of the LSE brand.
What piece of trivia about the location can you offer?
The fact that we don’t have a trading floor any more is always met with surprise, even more than 20 years after it closed.
If the building’s walls could talk, what do you hope they would keep a secret?
I couldn’t possibly comment; there are rules governing the leaking of share information!
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