[JMT1985]

There was a bit of a squeeze when N6 had to share two BBC News sets in 1999 - when they built the new set for launch in May 1999, the old blue set was also in N6, sharing the same space for sometime before the relaunch in May 1999.

I can believe that elements of the 1999 set (particularly the projection screens, which would have required a bit of calibration) were installed whilst the blue set was still standing, but surely it would have been impossible for both to stand in full without significantly impairing the strict camera positions needed for the blue set.

If you look at the positioning of the 1999 set, it was quite restrictive, despite being fairly small within the studio. The partially rebuilt blue set was positioned in the bottom left corner.

N9, oh hello the gallery at the back. Plus above where you have added 'N9' is that partial circle the famous column? If so, also instantly recognisable.

Yes, the small dot above 'N9' is the central column that featured in many a backdrop. Unfortunately, couldn't fit all the room in, as the actual studio in N9 is cut off in the above image.

Hi, I was told by someone who worked in the BBC News Centre back then that this is what happened. In the final few weeks before the relaunch, the new BBC News set was built into N6 whilst the old blue set remained on the other side of the studio. Facing each other literally. 

I am just going what was told to me by that engineer.