One Canada Square

Coordinates: 51°30′19.8″N 0°01′10.92″W / 51.505500°N 0.0197000°W / 51.505500; -0.0197000
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nicholas Weilding (talk | contribs) at 01:41, 3 October 2008 (Consistency with height section paragraph. Civil Aviation Authority is a reliable source, whilst Skyscraper news website is an unreliable source.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

One Canada Square
1 Canada Square
The tallest building in England and the United Kingdom
Map
General information
LocationEngland London, England
Coordinates51°30′19.8″N 0°01′10.92″W / 51.505500°N 0.0197000°W / 51.505500; -0.0197000
OwnerUnited Kingdom Canary Wharf Group plc (current majority shareholder is Songbird Estates plc[15])
ManagementUnited Kingdom Canary Wharf Group plc
Height
Antenna spire244 metres (800 ft) [5] above sea level, or 235.1 metres (771 ft)[6] above ground level.
Technical details
Floor count50[4]
Floor area115,000 m2 (1,238,000 sq ft)[7]
Lifts/elevators32 + 2 freight + 2 firemen[4]
Design and construction
Architect(s)United States César Pelli & Associates[7][8][9][10]
Canada Adamson Associates[11][8][10]
United Kingdom Frederick Gibberd Coombes & Partners[8][12][10]
DeveloperCanada Olympia & York[14][2]
EngineerCanada MS Yolles & Partners[8]
United Kingdom Waterman Partnership[13][8]

One Canada Square (also known as the Canary Wharf Tower) is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf, London. It is the tallest building in the United Kingdom at 800 ft (240 m) above sea level, or 806 ft (246 m) above ground level[5][16]. It is the sixth tallest building in the European Union.

A London landmark

One Canada Square is a conspicuous London landmark, clearly visible at a distance from large areas of East and South London in particular.

The tower can be seen approximately 30 miles (50 km) away from the following notable observation places:

A view of the building from the ground

History and design

The plans and design

Olympia & York was the original developers for One Canada Square. They chose several architects whom were Cesar Pelli & Associates, Adamson Associates, and Frederick Gibberd Coombes & Partners[10][8]. After much design consultation, the final design was reached in 1988.

Construction

Construction on the tower began in 1988[10]. The tower was topped out on 1990-11-08 when the top piece of the pyramid roof was put in place by crane. In August 1991, One Canada Square was completed[10] and open for business.

Post-completion

In May 1992, the original developers, Olympia & York, went into bankruptcy administration. Ownership of the tower has changed several times ever since.

Building technical details

Building name

The official name given to the building is 'One Canada Square'[4]. However it is widely known to Londoners as the 'Canary Wharf Tower'.

Royal Mail / The Post Office (as well as some building tenants and other sources) refers to the building as '1 Canada Square'[17][18].

The building may have been referred to as the 'vertical Fleet Street', after several of London's newspapers moved from Fleet Street in the City of London to One Canada Square[19].

Building height

The height of One Canada Square has been stated differently from many sources. The official source, Canary Wharf Group, state that the building is 800 feet (244 metres)[5] This is in close agreement with aviation charts issued by the Civil Aviation Authority which show it as 799 feet above ground level, or 806 feet above sea level. Aviation maps show the tallest extreme of the building, irrespective of whether this is an antenna, flagpole, sign or occupied floor.

Pyramid roof

The pyramid roof at night
Canary Wharf: Aircraft warning lights

Notable facts about the pyramid

  • The pyramid roof lights up in the evenings and can be seen 20 miles away[20].
  • 40 metres high[21]
  • 30 metres square at the base[21]
  • made from stainless steel[21]

Inside the pyramid

The pyramid roof contains a maintenance plant. Inside there are:

Fire system

In the event of a fire, One Canada Square is not fully evacuated. Only the floor that has the fire and the floor above are evacuated. The fire sprinkler system is activated, air conditioning will work in reverse to extract smoke, and air is blown in from the emergency exits (so that smoke does not enter the emergency exits).

The only time when One Canada Square was fully evacuated was on 30 October 2001[22], during a test drill in response to the "September 11, 2001 attacks".

Maintenance floor

The maintenance floor above the lobby houses the air systems for the tower. It also houses the spare parts store, containing many spare parts, including many different window panes; marble for the lobby; spare electrical equipment; emergency pumps.

Notable general figures

  • 1.5 seconds between each flash, 40 flashes per minute, 57,600 flashes a day from the aircraft warning light at the top of the building[5].
  • 28,000 square feet average floor size[5]

Building internal relations

Public access

A view from the top floor, May 2000

The ground floor, foyer area and basement levels of One Canada Square are open to the general public, having an underground shopping area and a transport interchange from Canary Wharf tube and Docklands Light Railway stations. Access from the basement also links to Canada Square shopping mall[23].

The floors above the lobby are not opened to the public as they contain offices. The stained glass and the roundel in the foyer were designed by Charles Rennie, and are an original design. The design represents Canary Wharf, Water and Boats, illustrating the signs of London Docklands. The slate used here and in various places around the foyer on site is made from the Welsh slate shelving used in the repositories of the original Banana Warehouse at Canary Wharf.

Despite its status as the United Kingdom's tallest building, there is currently no public observation floor. However, there was an exception during 12 September 1992 - 10 November 1992, when bankruptcy administrators for Olympia & York Canary Wharf Limited opened the 50th floor to the public, in order to maintain interest in Canary Wharf. The scheme was stopped on 10 November 1992 when the IRA attempted to bomb the tower[24] (see Terrorism section).

Light usage

File:Canary Wharf buildings at night.jpg
Lights left on at Canary Wharf

One Canada Square was 'named and shamed' for being the top building to leave the lights on unnecessarily[25]. The research carried out by the BBC Inside Out team found that on midnight Sunday, One Canada Square left more lights on than any other building in London[25].

However, Canary Wharf Group did say that some tenants have staff working around the clock[25], and 100% of the energy comes from renewable resources[25].

13th floor

Perhaps due to superstition, there is no rentable space on the thirteenth floor and instead the floors are numbered 11, 12, 14, 15.[6] Elevators travelling between the ground floor and 16th floor have a blank button for what should be the 13th floor. People claim that using the fire escape stairs reveals that the floors go straight from the 12th floor to the 14th floor with no space for an extra floor in between. They say that there are no observable signs of an extra floor from within the building or from outside.

Tenants

Notable current tenants

Notable previous tenants

Ownership

The current owner of One Canada Square is Canary Wharf Group plc (current majority shareholder is Songbird Estates plc[15])

External relations

Title dates

Titles such as the 'tallest building in the UK' has many methods to determine this. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) determines this by: when a building is complete, clad and at least partially open for business[32]. Another method is using the construction date of when a building surpassed the height of another building or structure. A third method is to use the top out date.

Tallest skyscraper in the European Union

There are two views that separate if One Canada Square was ever the tallest skyscraper in the European Union (not to be confused with the tallest skyscraper in Europe).

  • If it is based on completion date, then One Canada Square was never the European Union's tallest skyscraper as MesseTurm was completed in 1990[33], and One Canada Square was completed in 1991.
  • If based on construction structural height or topping out date, then One Canada Square was the European Union's tallest building[6][34] for a period of about six months before losing this title to MesseTurm, Frankfurt, Germany.
Tallest skyscraper in the UK

There are several views of when One Canada Square surpassed the previous tallest building in the United Kingdom, which was Tower 42 (formerly known as NatWest Tower) (183 m, 600 ft).

  • If based on completion date, then it is August 1991.
  • If based on top out date, then One Canada Square became the tallest building in Britain on 8 November 1990.
  • If based on construction structural height, then it is Summer 1990.
Tallest skyscraper in Canary Wharf

One Canada Square will be overtaken as the tallest building in Canary Wharf by Riverside Tower 1. Planning permission has been granted to build to a maximum height of 241.1 metres[35] In August 2008, construction began on Riverside South, which will be 236m in height, one meter taller than One Canada Square.

Terrorism

On 15 November 1992, the Provisional Irish Republican Army attempted to place a large improvised explosive device[24] near to the tower. The bomb was in a van driven near to the tower. The detonator failed to ignite the main charge[36], and the bomb did not go off, so there was no bomb damage to Canary Wharf. As a result of this attempted bombing, the observation floor was closed (see Public access section) and security was dramatically increased at Canary Wharf.

On 9 February 1996, the IRA did detonate a large bomb at South Quay, south of Canary Wharf (outside of Canary Wharf), which killed two people and devastated several buildings. This explosion is commonly, but erroneously, referred to as the "Canary Wharf bomb"[37][38].

There have been many news articles in recent years stating that the towers at Canary Wharf have been a target for terrorist[39][40][41]. However, some of these plots have been denied by the government.[42]

On 4 April 2008, a terror cell appeared at Woolwich Crown Court accused of targeting Canary Wharf. The men deny the charges[43][44].

Community relations

Television interference

As the Canary Wharf Tower is the first skyscraper to be clad in stainless steel with metallised windows, this may have caused television reception interference for local people living in the area. In the case Patricia Hunter and others v. Canary Wharf Ltd.[1997][45][46], the House of Lords concluded there is no legal right to receive good television reception[47].

In Spring 2001, the BBC received some television interference complaints from residents in the Poplar area[48] (north of Canary Wharf). A possible cause for the interference are the other Canary Wharf towers being built[48]. Their advice was to get digital television, satellite or cable.[48]

In popular culture

Cinema

One Canada Square has appeared in the following notable movies:

Television

One Canada Square has appeared in the following notable television programmes:

During the 1990s, One Canada Square was home to the television station L!VE TV[49].

Paper publications

One Canada Square has appeared in the following notable paper publicatons:

Gallery

  • One Canada Square (centre) with HSBC Tower to the left and Citigroup Centre to the right
    One Canada Square (centre) with HSBC Tower to the left and Citigroup Centre to the right
  • Street view
    Street view
  • Side view
    Side view
  • One Canada Square, London
    One Canada Square, London
  • Tower and clock
    Tower and clock
  • Tower
    Tower
  • Tower top with surrounding buildings
    Tower top with surrounding buildings
  • One Canada Square with its neighbouring buildings at Canary Wharf
    One Canada Square with its neighbouring buildings at Canary Wharf

References

  1. ^ Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, http://www.cwcontractors.com/projectsOneCanada.asp Some of our projects > One Canada Square > One Canada Square, Canary Wharf Contractors website, Canary Wharf Contractors Limited. Accessed 25 May 2008 15:30 BST.
  2. ^ a b Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/mainFrm1.asp?strSelectedArea=History History, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:38 BST.
  3. ^ The Open University http://www.open2.net/modernity/3_17.htm A-Z Index > From Here to Modernity > Buildings > Canary Wharf > Canary Wharf, Open2 website, The Open University. Accessed 25 May 2008 15:39 BST. WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS ERRORS.
  4. ^ a b c d Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/estate/estate/ds7/info.htm The Estate > Buildings > One Canada Square > More information > One Canada Square Facts, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:45 BST.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/factfile/1can_pagr2.asp Fact File > One Canada Square > One Canada Square, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:55 BST.
  6. ^ a b c "Skyscrapernews.com", http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=48 "One Canada Square", "Skyscrapernews.com", 15 May 2008. Accessed 25 May 2008 16:31 BST. WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS ERRORS.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/estate/estate/ds7/ds7_r.htm The Estate > Buildings > One Canada Square > Building profile > Building profile, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:52 BST.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Unknown author, http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=32&storycode=3048265 "Faster, higher, stronger", Building website, Canary Wharf supplement 2005, 2005. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:26 BST.
  9. ^ Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (formerly Cesar Pelli & Associates) http://www.cesar-pelli.com/ Projects > Office Buildings > One Canada Square > One Canada Square, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects website, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. Accessed 25 May 2008 17:00 BST.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hermione Hobhouse http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46550 "Modern Docklands: Gazetteer of modern non-housing developments", "Survey of London: volumes 43 and 44: Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs", 1994. Accessed April 28, 2008
  11. ^ Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/adamson-associates-2?cat=entertainment "Art Encyclopedia: Adamson Associates", "Answers.com" website, Answers Corporation. Accessed 25 May 2008 19:52 BST.
  12. ^ Gibberd http://www.gibberd.com/ Projects > Office > Canary Wharf > Canary Wharf, Gibberd website, Gibberd. Accessed 25 May 2008 19:46 BST. (Frederick Gibberd Coombes & Partners are now known as Frederick Gibberd Partnership)
  13. ^ Waterman Group http://www.watermangroup.co.uk/wg/download/book/Chapter4a.pdf "Ingenuity and Engineering - The Waterman Story - The first 50 years", Chapter 4, page 45 of document or page 11 of PDF file, Waterman Group website, Waterman Group, no publication date stated. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:04 BST.
  14. ^ John Grigsby http://www.lddc-history.org.uk/property/index.html "LDDC Monograph" "Attracting Investment - Creating Value Establishing a Property Market in London Docklands", LDDC History Pages, IJP Community Regeneration, 12th June 2007. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  15. ^ a b Songbird Estates plc http://www.songbirdestates.com/Corporate-Profile/index.asp Company Overview / AIM Rule 26 > 'Company Overview and Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") Rule 26', Songbird Estates website, Songbird Estates plc, 25 May 2008. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:08 BST.
  16. ^ Aviation charts issued by the Civil Aviation Authority
  17. ^ Royal Mail Group Ltd, http://postcode.royalmail.com/portal/rm/addressfinder Find a postcode > Find an address > Find an address, "Royal Mail address finder", Royal Mail website, Royal Mail Group Ltd. Accessed 26 May 2008 06:30 BST.
  18. ^ Citywise http://www.1canadasquare.co.uk/home.htm "1 Canada Square", Citywise, 2006. Accessed 25 May 2008 21:00 BST. WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL SITE ABOUT ONE CANADA SQUARE
  19. ^ Unknown author, http://www.baholidays.com/brochure/product_show.jsp?smap=1&ID=2709&PRODUCTID=1017&CODE=2709MWILON&smapPath=/hotels/London "Hotel Information - MARRIOTT WEST INDIA QUAY", British Airways Holidays, British Airways Plc, 24 May 2008. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  20. ^ Art2Architecture & DPA Lighting, http://www.art2architecture.co.uk/alighted/canary2.htm "alighted city" > "Millennium Lighting Installation, Canary Wharf, London" > "Millennium Lighting Installation, Canary Wharf, London", Art2Architecture website, Art2Architecture London Ltd. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:36 BST.
  21. ^ a b c Colt Group http://www.coltinfo.co.uk/products-and-systems/architectural-solutions/louvre-systems/projects/canary-wharf/ Products and Systems > Architectural Solutions > Louvre Systems > Projects > Canary Wharf > "Canary Wharf, London" / "Bespoke Screening Louvre - Stainless Steel Louvre Pyramid", Colt Group website, Colt International Licensing Ltd. Accessed 25 May 2008 16:08 BST.
  22. ^ Jill Treanor, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/oct/31/afghanistan.terrorism "50-floor Canary Wharf tower evacuated", The Guardian, Guardian News and Media Limited, 31 October 2001. Accessed 25 May 2008 14:19 BST.
  23. ^ Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/estate/districts/html/cas/index.htm The Estate > Districts > Canada Square > Canada Square District, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 25 May 2008 15:17 BST.
  24. ^ a b United Kingdom Parliament http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo960304/text/60304w13.htm Publications and Records > Commons Publications > Commons Hansard > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers, "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 4 Mar 1996 (pt 13)", Column 62, see table entry for 15 November 1992, United Kingdom Parliament website, United Kingdom Parliament, 4 March 1996. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:26 BST.
  25. ^ a b c d Unknown author of BBC Inside Out team, http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2007/10/09/london_citylights_s12_w4_feature.shtml "City Lights", BBC website, British Broadcasting Corporation, 31 October 2007. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h Canary Wharf Group plc http://www.mycanarywharf.com/stores/Canary_Wharf_perimeter_map.pdf "Canary Wharf Estate Map" (November 2007), Canary Wharf Group plc, November 2007. Accessed 30 May 2008 22:00 BST.
  27. ^ a b Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharfenvironmentalandsocialreport.com/pdfs/CWG%20EnvSoc20012002.pdf Annual Reports > CWG Environmental and Social Report 2001/02, "Environmental and Social Report 2001-2002", page 28 of PDF file, Green Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc, 2002. Accessed 7 June 2008 08:00 BST.
  28. ^ Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.canarywharf.com/history/historymainPag2.htm This webpage cannot be accessed from the homepage, official Canary Wharf website, Canary Wharf Group plc. Accessed 30 May 2008 23:20 BST.
  29. ^ "Olympics Hq Stays At Wharf". 2005-10-17. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  30. ^ London 2012 Limited http://www.london2012.com/documents/bid-publications/make-britain-proud-magazine.pdf "Make Britain Proud", London 2012 Limited, 19 November 2004. Accessed 30 May 2008 22:00 BST.
  31. ^ Dominic White, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/12/22/cntel22.xml "Telegraph moves to Victoria", Telegraph Media Group Limited, 22 December 2005. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  32. ^ "Skyscrapernews.com", http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=1018 "Burj Dubai Height Overtakes Taipei 101", "Skyscrapernews.com" website, "Skyscrapernews.com", 20 July 2007. Accessed 25 May 2008 17:16 BST.
  33. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "List of tallest buildings in the European Union", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_the_European_Union (accessed 25 May 2008 14:02 BST)
  34. ^ Canary Wharf Group plc, http://www.visiteastlondon.com/downloads/Leaflets/history.pdf "Arts & Events", "Canary Wharf", "A different perspective", "Self-guided walking tours at Canary Wharf", "Transitions", 'Canary Wharf Group plc', May 2003. Accessed April 27, 2008
  35. ^ "Tower Hamlets Council: updated planning application". 2007-03-30.
  36. ^ Unknown author, http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=47241&in_page_id=34 "The carnage caused by fertiliser bombs", Metro website, Associated Newspapers Limited, 30 April 2007. Accessed 25 May 2008.
  37. ^ Carolina Herling, Caroline Liljedahl, http://www.infra.kth.se/BYFA/publikationer/examensarbeten/2005/284.pdf "Canary Wharf - An Establishment of a Major Business District", Page 16 of PDF document, page 15 of document, 'Department of Infrastructure', 'Building and Real Estate Economics', 'Royal Institute of Technology', February 2005. Accessed April 26, 2008.
  38. ^ British Broadcasting Corporation, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/10/newsid_2539000/2539265.stm "1996: Docklands bomb ends IRA ceasefire", "On This Day", "10 February", BBC website, British Broadcasting Corporation. Accessed 25 May 2008 15:23 BST.
  39. ^ Unknown author, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=328011&in_page_id=1770&ct=5 "Al Qaeda attack on Canary Wharf foiled", Mail Online, Associated Newspapers Ltd, 23 November 2004. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  40. ^ Severin Carrell, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20060625/ai_n16504673 "Canary Wharf: more smoke and mirrors?", The Independent on Sunday, 25 June 2006. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:45 BST.
  41. ^ James Sturcke and agencies, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/07/alqaida.september11 "US says 9/11 suspect planned Heathrow attack", The Guardian, 7 September 2006. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  42. ^ Richard Norton-Taylor, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/23/terrorism.alqaida "Security services play down 'terror plot'", The Guardian, 23 November 2004. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  43. ^ Sean O'Neill and David Byers http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3671825.ece "Airline terror trial: 'Heathrow, Canary Wharf and nuclear plants in bomb plot'", The Times, 5 April 2008. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  44. ^ Unknown author, http://itn.co.uk/news/5c663579a17df46b4a80e03c381324eb.html "Plane gang 'targeted Canary Wharf'", ITN website, Independent Television News Limited, 4 April 2008. Accessed 24 May 2008.
  45. ^ United Kingdom Parliament http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldjudgmt/jd970424/hunter01.htm Business > Lords Publications > Judgment Index > Judgment, "Judgments - Hunter and Others v. Canary Wharf Ltd. - Hunter and Others v. London Docklands Corporation", United Kingdom Parliament website, United Kingdom Parliament, 24 April 1997. Accessed 25 May 2008 20:51 BST.
  46. ^ Tai King Lee, http://www.ipsofactoj.com/international/2000/Part2/int2000(2)-009.htm "House of Lords" "Hunter - vs - Canary Wharf Ltd", "IpsofactoJ.com", "Taiking.Thing Sdn Bhd", 24 April 1997. Accessed 25 May 2008 16:20 BST.
  47. ^ Ofcom http://www1.bsc.org.uk/advice-old/ifv/tetra/ "Interference & TETRA Advice for householders", Ofcom (Office of Communications) (the communications regulator), no publication date. Accessed 31 May 2008 11:11 BST.
  48. ^ a b c PD Parsons, http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP010.pdf "Interference to analogue TV reception due to building developments at Canary Wharf", Research & Development British Broadcasting Corporation, British Broadcasting Corporation, December 2001. Accessed 31 May 2008 19:41 BST.
  49. ^ a b c d e London Borough of Tower Hamlets http://static.visitlondon.com/assets/maps/movie_maps/canary_wharf_movie_map.pdf "Canary Wharf And Isle Of Dogs Movie Map", 'London Borough of Tower Hamlets - Investment & Business', unknown publication date. Accessed 4 May 2008.


See also

Canary Wharf
List of buildings/structures
Other developments

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to One Canada Square.
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