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Canary Wharf | |
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Central business district | |
From top, left to right: HMS Tamar sailing and Newfoundland; Adams Plaza Bridge; Canary Wharf tube station; Canada Square; Canary Wharf skyline from Greenwich; Crossrail Place | |
Location within Greater London | |
OS grid reference | TQ375802 |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | LONDON |
Postcode district | E14 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
Canary Wharf is a privately owned financial district in London, England, located on the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority considers it part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. [1] Together with the City of London and the West End, it forms one of the main financial centres in the United Kingdom and the world. [2] It contains the headquarters of many major global companies and banks' as well as a lot of high-rise buildings, including the third-tallest skyscraper in the UK, One Canada Square. [3] [4]
Developed on the site of the former West India Docks in East London, Canary Wharf contains around 16,000,000 sq ft (1,500,000 m2) of office and retail space. It features numerous open areas and gardens, including Canada Square, Cabot Square, Westferry Circus, Jubilee Park, and the Crossrail Place Roof Garden. Together with Heron Quays and Wood Wharf, it forms the Canary Wharf Estate, covering approximately 97 acres (39 ha) in area.
From 1802 until the late 1980s, the area now known as the Canary Wharf Estate was part of the Isle of Dogs (specifically Millwall) and Poplar. The West India Docks, a central feature of the area, were primarily developed by Robert Milligan (c. 1746–1809), who founded the West India Dock Company.
The Port of London Authority was established in 1909 and took control of the West India Dock. The enterprise of Alfred Lewis Jones, a Welsh shipping magnate and a prominent figure in the Canary Islands, led to a constant stream of ships arriving into London's South Quay Dock. [5] No. 32 berth of West Wood Quay in the Import Dock was built in 1936 with a two-storey transit shed for Fruit Lines Ltd, a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Lines, for the Mediterranean and Canary Islands fruit trade, gaining the name Canary Wharf. [6]
After the 1960s, when cargo became containerised, the port industry began to decline, leading to the closure of all the docks by 1980. [7] [8] After the docks closed in 1980, the British Government adopted policies to stimulate redevelopment of the area, including the creation of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) in 1981 and the granting of Urban Enterprise Zone status to the Isle of Dogs in 1982. [8]
The Canary Wharf of today began when Michael von Clemm, former chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), came up with the idea to convert Canary Wharf into a back office. Further discussions with developer G Ware Travelstead led to proposals for a new business district. A crucial enabling factor was the LDDC's plan for an inexpensive light metro scheme, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which opened in 1987. [9] The project was seen as an innovative and cost-effective use of redundant Victorian-era railway viaducts to improve access. [10] The project was sold to the Canadian company Olympia & York, who soon learned that the initial DLR service was "too tenuous to convince major companies to relocate". [10] Consequently, Olympia & York agreed to fund half the cost of a vital extension into the City of London, connecting the DLR to Bank station via a new tunnel. [10] That extension opened in 1991. [9]
The project was sold to the Canadian company Olympia & York [11] and construction began in 1988, master-planned by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with Yorke Rosenberg Mardall as their UK advisors, and subsequently by Koetter Kim. The first buildings were completed in 1991, including One Canada Square, which became the UK's tallest building at the time and a symbol of the regeneration of Docklands. By the time it opened, the London commercial property market had collapsed, and Olympia and York Canary Wharf Limited filed for bankruptcy in May 1992.
Initially, the City of London saw Canary Wharf as an existential threat. It modified its planning laws to expand the provision of new offices in the City of London, for example, creating offices above railway stations (Blackfriars) and roads (Alban Gate). The resulting oversupply of office space contributed to the failure of the Canary Wharf project.
In October 1995, an international consortium that included investors such as Alwaleed, bought control of the Canary Wharf Group for $1.2 billion. Paul Reichmann (of Olympia & York) was named chairman, and Canary Wharf went public in 1999. [12] The new company was called Canary Wharf Limited, and later became Canary Wharf Group.
In 1997, some residents living on the Isle of Dogs launched a lawsuit against Canary Wharf Ltd for private nuisance because One Canada Square, owned by the company, interfered with TV signals. However, the residents lost the suit. [13]
Recovery in the property market generally, coupled with continuing demand for large floorplate Grade A office space, slowly improved the level of interest. A critical event in the recovery was the much-delayed start of work on the Jubilee Line Extension. The project was seen as essential to provide the capacity and quality of service required for the high-density development planned at Canary Wharf. [14] The developers, Olympia & York, offered a substantial contribution towards the new line, eventually agreeing to contribute £400 million towards the project costs. [15] [14] This arrangement established a new funding precedent where the private-sector beneficiaries of a major public transport project would contribute significantly to its capital costs. [14] However, following the bankruptcy of Olympia & York and delays to the project's opening, the final present value of the developer's contribution was significantly less than originally pledged. [14] Construction of the extension began in 1993, with the line opening in 1999. [16]
The district's strategic importance was also central to the history of Crossrail. The first Crossrail Bill, introduced to Parliament in 1991, proposed an east-west tunnel that bypassed the Isle of Dogs entirely. As a result, the new financial services cluster, which was not served by the proposed route, "had no cause to lobby on its behalf". [17] This lack of support from a key business stakeholder was a factor in the bill being voted down by a parliamentary committee in May 1994. [17] When the Crossrail project was revived in the early 2000s, it was with a new route specifically designed to include a station at Canary Wharf, a change driven by the area's continued economic expansion. [18] Canary Wharf Group became a strong advocate for the revised scheme, agreeing to build the new station and make a direct financial contribution of £150 million towards the project. [19]
In March 2004, Canary Wharf Group plc. was taken over by a consortium of investors, backed by its largest shareholder Glick Family Investments [20] and led by Morgan Stanley using a vehicle named Songbird Estates plc.
In addition to being a leading global financial district in the United Kingdom, Canary Wharf is famous for a cluster of tall modern commercial complexes and residential high-rise buildings. [21] Built from scratch since the early 1990s, Canary Wharf's rapid grown skyscraper cluster has dramatically transformed the skyline of London with modern architecture. [22] [23]
Ranking by height | Image | Name | Height | Floors | Completion date | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metres | Feet | ||||||
1 | ![]() | One Canada Square | 235 | 771 | 50 | 1991 | Designed by Cesar Pelli. Multi-tenanted; occupiers include BNY Mellon, the CFA Institute, Clearstream, European Energy Exchange, Euler Hermes, the International Sugar Organization, Mahindra Satyam, MetLife, Moody's Analytics and Reach. [30] |
2 | ![]() | Landmark Pinnacle | 233 | 764 | 75 | 2020 | Residential tower. The tallest residential tower in Western Europe. [25] |
3 | ![]() | Newfoundland | 220 | 722 | 60 | 2019 | The first residential building built on the Canary Wharf private estate. [31] Known as "the diamond tower" due to its distinctive diamond-pattern steel exoskeleton design. [32] |
4 | ![]() | Aspen at Consort Place [33] | 216 | 708 | 67 | 2024 | Residential / Hotel. |
5 | ![]() | South Quay Plaza (Phase 1, Hampton Court) | 215 | 705 | 68 | 2020 | Residential tower. Also known as Valiant Tower [34] |
6 | ![]() | One Park Drive | 205 | 673 | 57 | 2019 | Residential tower. Wood Wharf's flagship residential building. |
7 | ![]() | 8 Canada Square | 200 | 655 | 42 | 2002 | The joint eleventh-tallest completed building in the United Kingdom. Occupied by HSBC as its global headquarters. [35] |
8 | ![]() | 25 Canada Square | 200 | 655 | 42 | 2001 | The joint eleventh-tallest completed building in the United Kingdom. 25 Canada Square and 33 Canada Square together form a single complex known as the Citigroup Centre. Primarily occupied by Citigroup as its EMEA headquarters. [36] Other tenants include Gain Capital, 3i Infotech, Crossrail, Instinet, Munich Re, MWB Group, FIS, Interoute, NYK and Wells Fargo. |
9 | ![]() | Harcourt Gardens (South Quay Plaza Tower 4, Harcourt Tower, SQP4) [37] | 192 | 631 | 56 | 2024 | Residential tower. |
10 | ![]() | Wardian London (East Tower) | 187 | 614 | 55 | 2019 | Residential tower. |
11 | ![]() | Amory Tower (The Madison) | 182 | 597 | 53 | 2019 | Residential tower. |
12 | ![]() | Wardian London (West Tower) | 168 | 552 | 50 | 2019 | Residential tower. |
13 | ![]() | One Thames Quay (225 Marsh Wall) [38] | 158 | 517 | 49 | 2024 | Residential tower. Situated at 225 Marsh Wall, the sister tower to the Amory Tower. [39] |
14 | ![]() | One Churchill Place | 156 | 513 | 32 | 2005 | Occupied by Barclays as its global headquarters. [40] |
15= | ![]() | 40 Bank Street | 153 | 502 | 33 | 2003 | Multi-tenanted; occupiers include Allen & Overy, ANZ Bank, China Construction Bank, Duff & Phelps, Saxo Bank, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. [30] |
15= | | 25 Bank Street | 153 | 502 | 33 | 2003 | Occupied by JPMorgan Chase as its European headquarters since 2012. [41] |
17 | ![]() | 10 Upper Bank Street | 151 | 495 | 32 | 2003 | Occupied by Clifford Chance as its global headquarters. [42] Other occupiers include FTSE Group, Infosys, Mastercard, Deutsche Bank, and Total. [30] |
18 | ![]() | 10 Park Drive Wood Wharf | 150 | 492 | 43 | 2019 | Residential tower. [43] The first residential development to be built in Wood Wharf. [44] |
19 | ![]() | Arena Tower (Baltimore Tower) | 149 | 489 | 45 | 2017 | Residential tower. |
20 | ![]() | Pan Peninsula (East Tower) | 147 | 484 | 48 | 2008 | Residential tower. |
21 | ![]() | Maine Tower (Harbour Central Block D) | 144 | 472 | 42 | 2018 | Residential tower. Centrepiece of Harbour Central development containing seven buildings. [45] [46] Also see Harbour Central Block C (Sirocco Tower). |
22 | ![]() | One & Five Bank Street | 143 | 469 | 28 | 2019 | Commercial tower. [47] European Bank for Reconstruction and Development relocated its headquarters to Five Bank Street in 2022. [48] |
23 | ![]() | 24 Marsh Wall (Landmark East Tower) | 140 | 458 | 44 | 2010 | Residential tower |
24= | ![]() | 40 Marsh Wall (Novotel London Canary Wharf) | 128 | 420 | 39 | 2017 | Hotel operating as 'Novotel Canary Wharf' |
24= | ![]() | 10 George Street Wood Wharf | 128 | 420 | 35 | 2018 | Residential tower, the first of three build-to-rent properties commissioned by Vertus, the rental arm of the Canary Wharf group. [49] |
26 | ![]() | Harbour Central Block C (Sirocco Tower) [50] | 125 | 409 | 36 | 2018 | Residential tower. Sirocco tower was the first built out of the 7 buildings on the Harbour Central site. [45] Also see Maine Tower. |
27 | ![]() | Pan Peninsula (West Tower) | 122 | 400 | 39 | 2008 | Residential tower. (see Pan Peninsula East Tower) |
28 | ![]() | Alta at Consort Place [51] | 121 | 400 | 36 | 2024 | Residential / education. |
29 | ![]() | 25 Churchill Place | 118 [52] | 387 | 24 | 2014 | The building housed the European Medicines Agency from early 2014 until March 2019 when they relocated to Amsterdam [53] and Ernst & Young from 2015. |
30 | ![]() | Dollar Bay Tower | 109 | 358 | 31 | 2016 | Residential tower. |
31 | ![]() | 1 West India Quay | 108 | 354 | 36 | 2004 | Residential (158 apartments) and a Marriott Hotel. [54] Was the tallest residential building in the UK when completed in 2004. [55] |
32 | ![]() | 33 Canada Square | 105 | 344 | 18 | 1999 | 33 Canada Square and 25 Canada Square together form a single complex, see above for details. |
As of 12 February 2023, there are 16 listed buildings in Canary Wharf of which 2 are grade I and 14 grade II. [56]
These docks along with Nos 1 and 2 warehouses are now the only surviving examples of the first intensive period of London Docklands construction: 1800–10.
Most of the grade II listed buildings in Canary Wharf sit to the north-west of West India Dock North, and are located within the West India Dock conservation area. [61] In addition to architectural values, "these buildings and structures are of significance due to their association with the development of the docks and the community that grew up around them". [62]
Photograph | Building name | Construction date | Location (E14 postal district) | Listing date | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 10 and 12, Garford Street E14 [63] | 1800s, early | Garford Street | 27 September 1973 | Early 19th century pairs of stock brick houses. These cottages were originally built for the officers and sergeants who supervised the Docks. |
![]() | 14, Garford Street E14 [64] | 1800s, early | Garford Street | 27 September 1973 | Early 19th century stock brick house. |
![]() | 16 and 18, Garford Street E14 [65] | 1800s, early | Garford Street | 27 September 1973 | Early 19th century pairs of stock brick houses. |
![]() | Entrance gates to West India Docks [66] | 1800s, early | West India Dock Road | 19 July 1950 | Two rusticated Portland stone piers with a capping of four dwarf pediments and acroteria. |
![]() | Former west entrance gate to West India Docks with curved walling and bollards [67] | 1900s, early | Westferry Road | 1 July 1983 | Stock brick curved wing walls and Portland stone gatepiers. Modern brick wall blocks entrance. Two cast-iron obelisk pattern bollards with the inscription WIDC (West India Dock Company). |
![]() | Railings to west of main gate at West India Docks [68] | 1800s, early | West India Dock Road | 30 September 1981 | Cast iron railings approximately 70 yards in length. |
![]() | Former excise office [69] | 1807 | West India Dock Road | 30 September 1981 | Also known as Dockmaster's House, by the architect and engineer Thomas Morris. |
![]() | Railings and gatepiers to former excise office [70] | 1807 | West India Dock Road | 30 September 1981 | Contemporary iron railings with six rusticated stucco gatepiers on street front. The stucco decoration of the piers elaborated mid 19th century. |
![]() | Quadrangle Stores at West India Dock [71] | 1825 | West India Dock Road | 30 September 1981 | Also known as Cannon Workshops, by engineer John Rennie the Younger. A rare survival of an early purpose built illustrative of the workings of the Docks Company. |
![]() | Salvation Army hostel [72] | 1905 | Garford Street | 27 September 1973 | Neo Georgian style building by architectural partnership Niven and Wigglesworth. Also known as: 20 Garford Street. |
![]() | West India Dock former guard house [73] | 1803 | West India Dock Road | 27 September 1973 | A one storey, small circular building designed by architect George Gwilt. It originally formed one of a pair built by Docks Company as a lock-up and armoury. |
![]() | Former west entrance lock to South Dock, West India Docks [74] | 1803-05 | Westferry Road | 1 July 1983 | By civil engineer William Jessop, built as the west entrance lock to the City Canal, later taken into the West India Docks system. |
Fitch and Sons Works [75] | 1870-80 | Westferry Road | 1 July 1983 | A good example of the smaller warehouses in the historical West India Docks, with built in retail outlet on ground floor, a now rare feature. | |
![]() | Cascades [76] | 1987-88 | Westferry Road | 18 April 2018 | A 20-storey residential tower by CZWG, exemplary of British post-modernist architecture practice and an important residential scheme of the late 20th century British town planning and industrial reclamation. [77] |
Canary Wharf contains around 16,000,000 sq ft (1,500,000 m2) of office and retail space, of which around 7,900,000 sq ft (730,000 m2) (about 49%) is owned by Canary Wharf Group. [78] Around 105,000 people work in Canary Wharf, [79] and it is home to the world or European headquarters of numerous major banks, professional services firms, and media organisations, including Barclays, Citigroup, Clifford Chance, Credit Suisse, Ernst & Young, Fitch Ratings, HSBC, Infosys, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, MetLife, Moody's, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada, Deutsche Bank, S&P Global, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, State Street, The Economist Group and Thomson Reuters. [80] Until 2018, Canary Wharf also hosted two European Union agencies, European Medicines Agency [81] and European Banking Authority, [82] that moved to Amsterdam and Paris respectively due to Brexit.
West India Quays and Poplar Dock are two marinas that are used as moorings for barges and private leisure river craft. They are owned by the Canal & River Trust. [83] [84]
A local public library, called Idea Store Canary Wharf, is in Churchill Place shopping mall and run by Tower Hamlets Council. It opened in 2006 as part of the Idea Store project [85] and is the borough's fourth Idea Store. [86]
Canary Wharf hosts two multiplexes (cinemas), one on West India Quay run by Cineworld. [87] [88] and another at Crossrail Place called Everyman Cinema. [89]
An over 800m long electric karting facility exists within Cabot Square. The facility can accommodate up to 20 drivers at a time. Karts can reach speeds of up to 45 mph. [90]
Canada Square is one of the central squares at Canary Wharf. It is a large open space with grass, except during the winter when it is converted into an ice rink. The square is named after Canada, because the original developers of modern Canary Wharf, Olympia & York, wanted to reflect their heritage as a Canadian company. Underneath the square is Canada Place shopping mall.
Westferry Circus is on the west side of Canary Wharf. It is a garden at ground level, and below is a roundabout allowing traffic to flow through. The garden is enclosed by bespoke hand-crafted ornamental railings and entrance gates by artist Giuseppe Lund. The area has a long history, dating back to 1812, when the Poplar and Greenwich Roads Company operated a horse ferry between Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs. It operated on the West Ferry and East Ferry Roads, which the names survived. Westferry Circus was chosen as the name for the roundabout and park by virtue of its proximity to Westferry Road.
Cabot Square is one of the biggest squares at Canary Wharf, with a large fountain at the centre. The inner perimeter has additional fountains covered by trees. The square has large circular glass ventilation holes to allow gases to escape from the underground car park. The square is named after John Cabot and his son Sebastian, who were Italian explorers who settled in England in 1484.
Churchill Place is an area on the east side of Canary Wharf. It is named after Winston Churchill.
Columbus Courtyard is a small square on the west side of Canary Wharf named after Christopher Columbus. The first phase of Canary Wharf was completed in 1992, 500 years after Columbus arrived in America.
Chancellor Passage is a passageway south of Cabot Square. Named after Richard Chancellor who sailed with Sir John Willoughby from Greenwich on their voyage through the White Sea to Moscow.
Wren Landing is small area north of Cabot Square. Leads to North Dock footbridge towards Port East. Named after British architect Christopher Wren.
Montgomery Square, located at the east end of Jubilee Park, is an outdoor location for socialising. Events include street food markets, beach volleyball tournaments, [91] padel tennis competition, [92] and minigolf. [93] [94]
Jubilee Park is a 10,000 m² roof garden located above Jubilee Place, a shopping mall, and Canary Wharf Jubilee Station, an underground railway station. [95] The park, opened in 2002 and was named in honour of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II. [96] Jubilee Park is located in the financial district of Canary Wharf. The park's central feature is a raised serpentine water channel with rough stone walls. The curvilinear design of the water channel is intended to contrast to the scale and straightness of the surrounding buildings. [97] In 2023, Jubilee Park won the Green Flag Award, recognising Jubilee Park as one of the United Kingdom's best parks [98]
Crossrail Place has a 4,160 m2 (44,800 sq ft) roof garden, one of London's largest, housed on the top of seven-storey Elizabeth line Canary Wharf station. Opened to the public in 2015, it lies almost exactly on the Meridian line splitting eastern and western hemispheres. The plants originating from the eastern hemisphere are planted to the East of the Meridian line in the garden, with those from the Western hemisphere on the opposite side. [99] [100] The design and development of Crossrail Place Roof Garden was honored by winning numerous prestigious international and United Kingdom awards. [101] Selected notable awards include: "Best Urban Regeneration Project" at 2016 MIPIM awards in France, [102] the first prize for the best "Innovative Design of a Contemporary Garden" at the 2017 European Garden Awards in Berlin, [103] and a Highly Commended accolade at the 2016 Landscape Institute Awards in the category 'Design for a Small-Scale Development'. [104]
Harbour Quay Garden is a newly garden opened early 2022, located at the strand of Wood Wharf, featuring a boardwalk for waterside wandering. The garden also offers family-friendly picnic spots and outdoor fitness equipment on the green lawn, where visitors can relax, view outdoor public art, and watch the water. Just around the corner, it has access to a new garden square, Harbord Square Park. [105]
Harbord Square Park is the newest garden square in Wood Wharf, continues the great London tradition of garden squares. It is open 24/7 and offers green space available for mindfulness activities and to support nearby residents' general wellbeing. [106]
Eden Dock opened in October 2024, in partnership with the Eden Project. The waterfront green space can be accessed via Jubilee Plaza or Mackenzie Walk. It includes floating islands which are designed to encourage biodiversity. [107]
Canary Wharf shopping centre has five interconnected shopping malls: Canada Place, Cabot Place, Jubilee Place, Crossrail Place, and Churchill Place. The malls provide over 102,193 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft) of retail space with more than 310 shops. [108] There are also bars, restaurants, and food halls at street level.
Every four years, residents of Canary Wharf ward elect two councillors to represent them on Tower Hamlets Council.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aspire | Maium Talukdar | 1,164 | 18.06 | +5.51 | |
Aspire | Saled Ahmed | 1,023 | 15.88 | ||
Independent | Andrew Wood † | 993 | 15.41 | −0.42 | |
Labour Co-op | Adam Allnutt | 885 | 13.73 | ||
Labour Co-op | Shajia Sultana | 846 | 13.13 | ||
Conservative | Francis Germaine-Powell | 492 | 7.64 | ||
Conservative | Samia Hersey | 408 | 6.33 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Morgan Jones | 363 | 5.63 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Hannan | 270 | 4.19 | ||
Total votes | 6,444 | ||||
Rejected ballots | 26 | ||||
Registered electors | 11,389 | ||||
Turnout | 3,676 | 32.28 | −1.61 | ||
Aspire gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Aspire gain from Labour | Swing |
† Andrew Wood was elected for the Conservative Party in 2018, but resigned to sit as an Independent in 2020. [110]
Canary Wharf is served by London-wide, regional, national and international transport connections.
Canary Wharf is in London fare zone 2, and several stations can be found throughout the estate.
Stations in Canary Wharf only offer direct connections to London and Berkshire destinations. Regional and national National Rail connections can be found elsewhere in London, including at Liverpool Street, Lewisham, London Bridge, Stratford, Stratford International and Waterloo. [112]
Major roads near Canary Wharf include:
Transport for London (TfL) and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets monitor the air quality around Canary Wharf.
In 2017, an automatic monitoring station in Blackwall found that local air quality failed to meet UK National Air Quality Objectives, recording an annual average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration of 56 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre). The national objective is set by the government at 40 μg/m3.
Alternative stations nearer Canary Wharf recorded cleaner air. Monitors at the Limehouse Link/Westferry Road junction and on Prestons Road recorded a 2017 annual average NO2 concentration of 40 μg/m3, which Tower Hamlets argue fails to meet the UK National Objective. [114]
London Buses routes 135, 277, D3, D7, D8, N277, N550 and SL4 call at bus stops near Canary Wharf. Bus 135 links Canary Wharf directly to Liverpool Street in the City of London, and bus D8 to Stratford. [115]
Several Riverboat services call at Canary Wharf Pier, including:
Tower, London Bridge City and Blackfriars are in the City of London. Oyster Cards are valid for travel on TfL-coordinated riverboat services. [116]
London City Airport is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Canary Wharf. Over 4.8 million passengers passed through City Airport in 2018. The airport serves domestic and international destinations, including New York. [117] [118]
London City Airport is on the DLR train line. Passengers from Canary Wharf can change trains at Poplar for services to the Airport. [111]
The Canary Wharf Group, London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Transport for London (TfL) provide cycling infrastructure in and around Canary Wharf. Several leisure and commuter routes pass through or near the estate, including:
Opened in a Grade I listed Georgian warehouse by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2003, the Museum of London Docklands is one of the main attractions in the area. [125] It is dedicated to the history of London's river, port, and people from Roman settlement to the present day. The museum offers a range of activities for children and families, including interactive displays and immersive activities. [126]
Canary Wharf has been reported since 2017 as part of the Pokémon Go augmented reality game to being the home for the most wanted Pokémon gyms in London including Canary Wharf DLR station and Montgomery Square. [127]
Canary Wharf Group published an official Pokémon map for PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms, the managing director for retail Camille Waxer said in 2016 that Pokémon Go has serious potential to attract new audiences to the area, particularly food and drink outlets which saw an increase in foot traffic. [128]
Incepted in 2014, the Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival turns on in January every year. [129] The public are free to visit a range of outdoor light, art and interactive installations created by artists from around the world. The festival was awarded the Best Creative Lighting Event award by the [d]arc awards in 2017 and 2019. [130] [131] The 2023 Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival was described as the largest light art festival in London. [132] [133]
It is an annual fundraising event organized by WaterAid, an international charity, in collaboration with the Canary Wharf Group. The funds raised through this event are used to combat the escalating water crisis that leaves people globally unable to access clean water and without a basic toilet. The Dragon Boat Race, based on a Chinese tradition dating back over 2,000 years, takes place in South Dock of Canary Wharf on summer, and is open to corporate teams of between 11 and 17 participants. In 2022, 15 teams participated the race, and the event raised £26,000. [134] With 19 teams taking place in the 2023 race, the raised funds was increased to £31,744. [135]
Hosted by the Canary Wharf Group, the festival was a four-day event from 21 to 24 July 2022. [136] It hosted over 60 live acts including music, theatre, dance, poetry, comedy, family funs and children's activities throughout the estate. The majority of acts were free to attend, and the event transformed the estate's numerous parks, plazas, and open spaces as they hosted a line-up of artists and performers from across the world. [137] The second year of Festival14 is extended to a five day event from Wednesday 26th to Sunday 30 July 2023. [138] [139]
Canary Wharf has partnered with Love Open Water to launch its first outdoor swimming since summer 2022. The venue, located in the 220-year-old Middle Dock, offers 600 m2 (6,500 sq ft) of open water swimming. [140] [141]
The Canary Wharf Art Trail is the largest outdoor public art collection in London. [143] [144] People are free to visit more than 100 pieces of stand-alone sculptures, integrated architectural works, and outdoor art exhibiting outside buildings around the Canary Wharf area. [145] Two printed maps are regularly updated by the Canary Wharf Group for visitors to discover and identify artworks permanently on display all over the estate.
The Canary Wharf website provides information about Raise Your Art Rate, an ongoing event that allows visitors to explore the outdoor public art collection while exercising. The event offers 1, 3, and 5 km walking, jogging or running routes that traverse the artworks. The routes are tailored to showcase the over 100 artworks on display throughout the estate. The event is free and open to all visitors. [148]
A free mini golf pitch has been created with a vibrant 9-hole course in Montgomery Square. [149]
The East London Advertiser (formerly The Docklands & East London Advertiser) is a local newspaper printing weekly and also online.
Wharf Life is a fortnightly publication of 15,000 copies for Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London. An E-edition is also available. [150]