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New city of towers in Docks
Mira Bar-Hillel and Katharine Barney16 Nov 2007
This is the first image of a major new scheme to extend Canary Wharf.
The new city of towers is proposed for Wood Wharf, a site which lies between Canary Wharf and the river and faces the O2.
If it goes ahead the development, designed by Richard Rogers, will be the highest density building project in London.
It would have almost the same number of flats, offices and shops as the King's Cross development, despite being on a plot a quarter of the size.
The vision of Lord Rogers, the Mayor's architectural adviser, is for a large group of towers containing 1,400 flats, as well as almost five million square feet of office space.
Designed in partnership with British Waterways, Canary Wharf and developer Ballymore, the 17.5 acre site will also contain a range of shops, recreational and community facilities.
The scheme is almost on the scale of that planned for the King's Cross railway land site, which at 67 acres is almost four times the size - making Wood Wharf the most crowded development in London.
The heights of the office and residential towers have not yet been finalised. The developer would only say that none would be taller than 1 Canada Square, the main Canary Wharf tower.
Plans includes a new community park and better access to the local docks with waterfront recreational areas, additional moorings and a new canal.
There will also be a new high street with shops, cafes and restaurants running through the heart of the development.
The developers are discussing the affordable housing element of the scheme. The Mayor's target is 50 per cent, which would be 700 affordable flats, but the promoters are not committed to more than 25 per cent. Plans will be submitted to Tower Hamlets council early next year.
Damian Wisniewski. of Wood Wharf Limited Partnership, said: "Wood Wharf is a key strategic regeneration project for London, complementing both the Thames Gateway and the development of the Olympic zone and further enhancing Canary Wharf's reputation as one of the world's most vibrant business centres.
"The site has the potential to deliver thousands of new jobs, some of the best located and designed affordable housing in the country, a significant new community park for the Isle of Dogs and a world-class waterfront."
One of the main attractions will be the exceptional public transport links. In addition to the DLR, the Jubilee Line connects Canary Wharf to the Olympic site and, through Stratford, to the high-speed trains to Paris and Brussels.
Consultation on aspects of the scheme begins on Monday.
