AIR Studios put up for sale by owners Boote & Woolf
Posted on: Monday 7th of May 2018
AIR Studios, the company set up by Beatles producer George Martin, has been put up for sale after recently resolving a dispute with a neighbour (concerning basement work) that threatened to disrupt recording. Created by Sir George Martin after his departure from EMI, the facility was originally in Oxford Street, central London until it was relocated to the architecturally stunning Lyndhurst Hall in 1991. Built as a church and missionary school, Lyndhurst Hall was constructed by Alfred Waterhouse, designer of the Natural History museum, and boasts world-class acoustics. The award-winning studio has garnered recognition globally for a portfolio of clients which includes artists such as Paul McCartney, Adele, Coldplay, U2, Muse, George Michael, Kate Bush, Dave Gilmour, Mumford & Sons and Katy Perry.
Globally, there are only a handful of studios in the world with full orchestral recording capabilities, with Air Studios and Abbey Road being the only two in London. Air Studios benefits from being in the unique position of having the capacity to house a full symphony orchestra with choir simultaneously. The hexagonal shaped, 300m2 Lyndhurst Hall studio is the largest studio at the premises and has delivered soundtracks to major Hollywood films including Oscar winning scores from Atonement, Life of Pi and Grand Budapest Hotel. Other film scores which have been recorded at the legendary studios include Darkest Hour, Wonder Woman, Interstellar, Casino Royale, as well as the 2012 Les Miserables feature film. TV show scores recorded at the premises include DR Who, Sherlock and Black Mirror.
The facilities include a portfolio of high specification equipment including many rare items, with an estimated value of at least £3 million. The complement of equipment includes the vintage Neve ‘Air Montserrat’ console – one of three unique Neve consoles with remote mic pres, designed solely for AIR Studios to George Martin’s specification.
Richard Boote (founder of Strongroom Studios), who acquired Air Studios in 2006 said, “The sale of Air Studios is a significant moment in the history of the music industry. Some of the most legendary soundtracks and records of the 20th and 21st century have been recorded at Air Studios and we know that there is still scope to expand and grow the business further. Air Studios and those who work at the studios are hugely important to me and I am sure that this will lead to an exciting new future for the facility.”
Co-owner Paul Woolf added, “It has been a privilege for us both to have served as owners of Air Studios. We now feel it’s time to pass the baton on to the younger generation and look forward to seeing Air Studios continue to produce world-class, award-winning music for years to come.”
