Everyone at some point has seen a building they recognise in a film or TV show. Commercial properties are frequently used as locations when producing the latest series or blockbuster movie.
It brings in great revenue and exposure, and fans flock to see these buildings in person.So here is a list of ten buildings used in some of our favourite films and shows.
Let’s start with one of the most popular TV shows Britain has produced in the last five years. Downton Abbey is an historical drama follows an aristocratic family’s ups and downs during the early part of the twentieth century.
The building used in this hit show is not, first and foremost, a commercial property but that isn’t going to stop us featuring it here.
Highclere Castle, the country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon, was designed by Charles Barry –the architect jointly responsible for the Houses of Parliament – and was completed in 1842.
Located in Newbury, the 5,000 acre estate is also available for commercial purposes such as corporate events, private dining, receptions and weddings.
Opening back in 1952 under the name Valley Doctors Hospital, this small private medical facility is located in Los Angeles.
It eventually closed in 1998 after a series of renames and renovations. But in 2001, it reopened its doors to becoame the new home for the TV hospital comedy Scrubs for a total of eight years, under the fictional name of Sacred Heart.
“I’ll have what she’s having” is one of the most iconic lines in film history. The love story starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan sees the two in a diner, with Meg Ryan’s character showing her excitement with the food.
Katz Delicatessen, in New York’s lower east side, originated in 1888 and is famous for its pastrami sandwiches and hot dogs.
Located in New York City, this office is the home of the highly popular fashion and lifestyle magazine, and is the setting for the popular comedy drama starring Meryl Streep. The building was originally constructed in 1996 and opened in 2000.
Getting into the Christmas theme, the Plaza hotel in New York, played host to one of the best known Christmas films of all time. The main character, Kevin, gets himself lost in the Big Apple so finds himself a room at the hotel to live the life of luxury.
Originally built in 1907, this building is located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Staying in the festive spirit, this 1988 take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol features one of the most influential examples of corporate modernism ever constructed.
The Seagram Building, on New York’s Park Avenue, was designed by the celebrated German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and stands at 515 feet tall. When it was completed in 1958 it was the most expensive skyscraper in the world.
In Scrooged Bill Murray’s office is in the building.
Every episode of the globally successful US sitcom Friends has shown this building as a scene establishing shot.
The New York skyscraper has also featured in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series, and films including Warren Beatty’s epic Reds and the 1998 version of Godzilla.
Built in 1902 and standing at 307 feet tall, the Flatiron Building (pictured) has been described as “possibly one of the most photographed buildings in the world”.
Taking a more sinister tone, this building, located in Colorado, is a hotel that opened up in 1909. It is most famously known as the setting for Stanley Kubrick’s chilling psychological horror The Shining.
A little known fact is that the hotel shows the full uncut version on continuous loop on channel 42 in all rooms.
On a lighter note, the Boston-set sitcom Cheers – in which a bunch of quirky characters shared their ups and downs over a drink in their favourite bar- was hugely popular in the 1980s.
Originally named the Bull & Finch Pub, it was used for exterior shots and since then it has become a hotspot for tourists, where up to one million people visit it a year.
This estate was originally founded in 1920, and is known as the largest industrial estate in single private ownership in Europe.
It’s also known for the location of fictional paper merchants Wernham Hogg in Ricky Gervais’ globally loved sitcom The Office.
Story: Chris Grigorovsky
