One Park Drive, one of the visually striking pieces of architecture forming Canary Wharf’s skyline has won “best large housing scheme” at the New London Awards in 2022.

The building is the Canary Wharf Group’s flagship residential development in Wood Wharf. The group says it aims to transform the built environment in Canary Wharf into a hub of business and cultural life.

One Park Drive has, it has been claimed, achieved a global reputation for its architectural design, as each of the residential floors are built in rotation, giving each flat a view of the London skyline.

A spokesperson for the Canary Wharf Group said: “One Park Drive is an iconic building that has quickly become an integral part of the London skyline due to its inimitable and inspiring architecture. We are very pleased to have won this prestigious award, which is a testament to the imagination, tenacity and relentless pursuit of the highest standards, demonstrated by our team and partners.”  

Sir George Jacobescu, Chairman of the Canary Wharf Group, highlighted the driving factor of their regeneration plan:  “Since the very start, Canary Wharf has been defined by an audacious vision — of what a city can be, of what urban life at its very best should be about.” 

Canary Wharf forms part of Tower Hamlets Council’s aims to make the borough “a good place to live” and ensure that “existing social, economic, and environmental needs” are met. 

As the fastest growing districts in London, Canary Wharf has undergone enormous change in the last few decades. From a desolate London Docklands to a prominent centre of global business activity in the UK, Canary Wharf is seen by many as an example of successful urban regeneration.  

In the early 19^th century, the Canary Wharf estate, which formed a part of the Isle of Dogs, was one of the busiest docks of the world. For over a century, major trade activities of the British empire flew through West India Docks with imports from all over the world like spices from India and sugars from Jamaica.

Following the decline of the empire in the early 20^th century, the prosperity once seen in the dock was diminished as wharves and buildings were left derelict. Starting in the 1980s, plans for redevelopment began, which saw a consistent collaboration between the Greater London Council and local developers. Their plan to transform the area into a financial district in Europe has brought growth and mobility to the district. Today, shopping centres, office buildings, and skyscraper apartments dominate the urban complex. For many years it was also home to some of the nations national newspapers, including the Telegraph, Independent and Mirror groups.

Canary Wharf’s position as a global business centre is reflected in the continuous job growth within the borough, which saw a 50 per cent rise in 2000. It is predicted that there will be a 44 percent rise by 2031.  

Compared to London’s overall employment rate, which remains steadily increasing throughout the years, Tower Hamlets has seen significant growth in the number of jobs particularly between 2010 and 2020. The employment rate in 2030 is estimated to exceed Greater London.

The vision of The Canary Wharf Group is to “transform urban spaces into extraordinary environments” with an aim to engage with communities and create sustainable living conditions.   

The Canary Wharf Group built approximately 16.5 million sq ft of office and retail space in London. There are 30 high rise office buildings which support a working population of over 120,000 people.

Looking to the future, the Group seeks to create 500,000 sq ft of new commercial property and over 3,600 new homes in Canary Wharf.