The BBC celebrated a topping out ceremony at its new music studios set to open in East London.

A live music performance was held at the studios, located at East Bank, to mark the completion of the concrete structure, which will open in 2025.

East London-born singer and songwriter Hak Baker and Helen Vollam, principal trombone at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, performed.

The piece, a fusion of rap, pop and classical music, echoes the ambition of the new music studios, which will be a home for the BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, rock and pop sessions, BBC music education and outreach as well as one of the largest sheet music collections in the world.

The studios will also house music sessions from the likes of Radio 1 Live Lounge through to BBC Proms rehearsals, Radio 3 concerts, and special performances from the BBC Pop music stations, with the public invited to attend and experience many of them live.

BBC Radio 3 controller Alan Davey said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the next chapter in the BBC’s history with the topping out ceremony of the BBC Music Studios.

"Making amazing, world-class music for all our audiences is our mission across all genres and to mark this occasion with the first live performance at the studios during our centenary year feels very special indeed.

“Hak Baker and Helen Vollam’s musical collaboration is emblematic of the diversity integral to our musical offer, and the new studios will be a brilliant opportunity for artists, the public and the local community to collaborate together and build a new musical legacy at the heart of East Bank.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Over the last decade, we have seen the area in and around East Bank grow as a hub for creativity and innovation, becoming an exciting destination, not just for Londoners, but for people across the country and the world.

"We are proud to support the new BBC Music Studios, as well as the wider East Bank partners, who continue to work with local cultural partners and community groups to inspire the next generation of talented young musicians.”