Herzog & de Meuron’s Canary Wharf tower given go-ahead
Fancy living in a cylindrical waterfront tower? Soon homebuyers will be able to do just that after Canary Wharf Group secured detailed planning permission for its second residential scheme on the former Wood Wharf site.
The 57-storey building, which is yet to be named, owes its quirky design to Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, who also created the Beijing Olympics' Bird's Nest and the Tate Modern.
The building, to the east of the financial district, will have 468 apartments ranging from studios to large three bedroom family homes. However, prices won’t be unveiled until their launch next year, Canary Wharf said.
Last month hundreds of flats in its debut residential development 10 Park Drive went up for sale, with prices starting at £395,000 for a studio. The company said two thirds of them have already been snapped up.
Canary Wharf Group wants to move away from business-centric image and create a district in which people want to live as well as work.
The vast 20-acre plot of land, which was previously used for shipping and storage of timber, will have 3,200 homes once completed as well as shops, a school, art galleries and offices that will target fast-growing media and technology firms.
Canary Wharf Group chairman and chief executive Sir George Iacobescu, said: “We are delighted to have received approval from Tower Hamlets Council to proceed with the latest building in Canary Wharf Group’s extensive pipeline and exciting residential offering.
"This decision is a major step in the progression of the New Phase, a development that will broaden and extend the Canary Wharf estate, adding to its vibrancy and continually expanding cultural, community and commercial offer.”