London’s Canary Wharf Becoming More Residential

As Canary Wharf visionary Sir George Iacobescu has stepped down and handed the reins to new boss Shobi Khan, it appears that the vision for the Isle of Dogs will be more residential than it has been in the past, Building reported on June 11. This London financial center has a reputation as a place people commute to, work long hours in and then escape from. The streets of the glass and steel district are noticeably quieter on weekends. According to the source, Khan seems to be spreading the message that, to continue to thrive, the 97-acre estate, with its 16.5 million ft² of office and retail space, needs to provide homes and communities in addition to places in which to work, eat and drink. The move toward residential is already becoming more visible, most notably with Landmark Pinnacle, which, at 239 m, is Europe’s largest residential building. The scheme, developed by Chalegrove Properties and designed by Squire and Partners, will feature 752 flats. Other additions include Wood Wharf, adding nearly 6 million ft² to the original estate with office space, shops, restaurants and community facilities; a build-to-rent development with 327 flats ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments; Berkeley Homes’ South Quay Plaza development, which will add 1,300 apartments over the next few years; and the 766-flat Wardian scheme by Ballymore and EcoWorld, also due for completion soon. A masterplan designed by Allies and Morrison and Glenn Howells Architects calls for more than 3,600 new homes, 25% of which are affordable, along with a school and a general practice surgery. Buildings include 10 Park Drive, which was completed June 2020 and welcomed the first ever residents to live on the Canary Wharf estate itself.