Canary Wharf takes over from Tech City and Silicon Roundabout as London’s hottest Fintech spot September 28, 2015 Much has been made of Silicon Roundabout and Tech City's abilities to crank out tech "unicorns" – but there's a new neighbourhood in techland, and it's muscled in on the areas' fintech sectors. Yep – according to property giant CBRE, Canary Wharf is the new epicentre of London fintech, with 13 of the capital's 140 [...]
Canary Wharf owner Songbird Estates rejects Qatar offer again January 12, 2015 Songbird Estates, the company behind Canary Wharf, has formally rejected yet another offer from the Qatari sovereign wealth fund. The company said it won't accept the 350p-a-share offer, by the Qatari Investment Authority and Brookfield Property Partners, on the grounds that it doesn't reflect "the full value of the business, its unique operating platform and [...]
Qatar finally purchases Canary Wharf as enough Songbird shareholders approve sale February 5, 2015 The Qataris have finally got their hands on Canary Wharf, after enough shareholders in current owner Songbird approved the sale. An estimated 94 per cent of shareholders were in favour of the purchase, according to a statement by Qatar sovereign wealth fund and Canadian property fund manager Brookfield Property Partners, which will jointly own the [...]
15 plans for the future of London transport: From the Northern Line extension to Night Tube and Crossrail 3 March 11, 2016 London Mayor Boris Johnson has said £1.3tn of investment is needed in the capital over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status. Transport is the biggest focus of the "London Infrastructure Plan 2050", and £973bn of spending is needed on transport alone to keep up with the rising population [...]
Hefty refurbishments leave Everyman cinemas with £430,000 loss in six months September 28, 2015 Everyman cinema group announced it made a loss of £430,000 despite a 31 per cent increase in revenues in the six months to 10 June. The premium cinema operator’s revenues were £8.16m, boosted by an increase in ticket sales and net spend per customer, but up from £6.2m in the first half of last year. [...]
The space to create: Ogilvy & Mather UK’s Annette King on New York and the South Bank January 18, 2016 "If you have all the research, all the ground rules, all the directives, all the data – it doesn’t mean the ad is written. Then you’ve got to close the door and write something…” Few would question David Ogilvy’s contribution to advertising. But the idea of closed doors seems anathema to the creative process today [...]
Alibaba moves London tech headquarters to Canary Wharf December 14, 2014 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has moved its London headquarters from Mayfair to Canary Wharf as the Docklands continues to develop as a rival tech hub to Old Street. Alibaba, which raised a record $25bn (£15.9bn) when it went public in September, is now based on Level 28 of the iconic One Canada Square, just below [...]
Making Canary Wharf feel like home: Commissioning public art for open spaces in a business district February 12, 2015 How do you create a sense of community – a sense of homeliness – in a place where no one lives? One way is through art. From the moment Canary Wharf was conceived, architects and planners envisaged a prominent role for culture within the development. In the 1990s, art historian and former director of the [...]
Battle for Canary Wharf nears end as Songbird rejects offer January 12, 2015 SONGBIRD Estates, the company behind Canary Wharf, has formally rejected a £2.6bn takeover offer from its Qatari shareholder. Songbird said yesterday it will not accept the 350p-a-share offer by the Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) and Brookfield, on the grounds that it does not reflect “the full value of the business, its unique operating platform and [...]
Brokers can be sweary, but bankers have a lot to lose on social media September 30, 2015 Social media is a minefield in the City. A recent study has shown that recruiters will look through everything on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook – from political opinions to topless selfies. But according to London’s recruiters, brokers can get away with a lot more than the rest of the financial district. Financial recruiters [...]