Canary Wharf

Click a letter for the index

Or search the encyclopaedia:

 

 

Go

 

Click images to enlarge
420,000-sq m/4.5 million-sq ft office development on the Isle of Dogs in London's Docklands, the first phase of which was completed in 1992, along with the foundations for a further 740,000 sq m/8 million sq ft. The complex of offices, surrounding landscaped squares, is best known for its central skyscraper, the second-tallest in Europe at 244 m/800 ft. Designed by US architect Cesar Pelli, it sports a pyramid-shaped crown in stainless steel. After the collapse of the developer Olympia & York in 1992, the site gained notoriety as a symbol of the economic recession in the UK, with much of its office space remaining unlet. By the end of 1995, following a rescue package, 75% had been let.

During the 1970s there was a decline in investment in the London Docklands as businesses closed or moved away, and many of the docks fell into disuse. In 1981, the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was established by the government to regenerate the docklands. Canary Wharf was the centrepiece of the regeneration strategy. In 1982, the Isle of Dogs was designated an Enterprise Zone and by 1987, the Canary Wharf contract had been signed with Olympia & York.

Black stands for the African people. White symbolizes peace. Black, red, and green, the ‘black liberation’ colours, denote Africa's rebirth. Red represents the blood common to all people. Green recalls the fertile land. Effective date: 12 December 1963. >>