Twenty-first century London - Canary Wharf
November 21st 2007 21:03
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf stands on the West India Dock, once one of the country’s busiest and most important. It was a key link in the chain of London’s early growth and prosperity, infamously so, as it was from West India dock that ships set sail to take on slaves from Africa. After delivering their living cargo to the plantations of the West Indies, they reloaded with sugar and returned to London. The docklands continued to thrive after the abolition of slavery in 1807 until the 1960s when container shipping and air transport gradually eclipsed traditional sea transport. They finally closed when all shipping trade moved to the container port down river at Tilsbury. For a time they remained neglected, decaying, almost forgotten, all but deserted.
Then, in 1991, the docklands were re-born as “London’s most ambitious commercial development” with the opening of the magnificent Canada Tower on Canary Wharf. Designed by Argentine Cesar Pelli, who was also the architect of Malaysia’s Petronas Towers, 50 storey Canada Tower is 250 metres high and the tallest office building in Europe. It dominates the city’s eastern skyline and commands fantastic views.
Sixteen years later, Canary Wharf is a booming twenty-first century urban village. It seems like a great place to live and work. There are 21 gleaming glass and steel office buildings, all with stunning views. The complimentary glossy magazine, Canary Wharf City Life lists thousands of beautiful, luxurious, state-of-the-art apartments for rent or sale in complexes catering to every conceivable modern need, wish or whim, including of course the “commanding view”.
Tall office buildings at Canary Wharf
Numerous leisure and cultural facilities include fitness centres, cinemas, a theatre and even a museum. Museum at Docklands is devoted to the history of the docks and houses a 1920s salon from the passenger liner Queen Mary. On November 10, the bicentenary of Britain’s Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, the long-awaited London, Sugar and Slavery Gallery opened. As the name suggests, this exhibition deals with the slave trade, the sugar trade and the part they played in the prosperity of London.
Aglimpse of the sea
A wide range of cafes and restaurants cater for every palate and ethnicity both above and below ground. Around the piazzas, above ground, diners can enjoy a glimpse of the old docks - the sea, the wharves, the odd boat bobbing at its moorings and seagulls wheeling overhead – a little chilly at this time year perhaps, but beautiful in the summer I would imagine.
Shopping in Canary Wharf’s splendid underground caverns is similar to shopping in one of Asia’s sumptuous malls, like Kuala Lumpur’s KLCC; no day or night, just neon light time; neither summer heat nor winter chill, just air-conditioned constancy; seductive piped music; shop after shop full of wonderful things interspersed with cafes and eateries exuding exotic smells and a giant Waitrose Supermarket, with shelf after shelf of colorful, tempting brilliantly packaged stock.
It's heartening to see that community life appears to be thriving in this fast ultra-modern setting. The East Wintergarden, Docklands’ events venue has just been approved for the solemnization of marriages and the registration of Civil Partnerships. Canary Wharf Group has launched a company football team to raise funds for Richard House children’s Hospice and is also sponsoring a young people’s film, animation and photography competition. The Poppy Appeal for the Royal British legion has just finished. A tabernacle or succah, has been set up at Montgomery Square to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles. Last weekend the ice-rink opened in Canada Square for the winter skating season. The Christmas tree is up, the lights have been lit and of course, Santa comes to town next weekend.
Canary wharf is a fun place to visit with a myriad of things to do. Jubilee line trains glide in and out of the spanking new, clean, light-filled, underground station, regularly and frequently and a quick, convenient ferry service runs up the Thames from Westminster.
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