Reach for the skies
THE WINTER Lights display at Canary Wharf last month delighted the crowds who turned out for the 11-day event – just one of more than 200 free shows put on at the east London docklands site every year. For although many of us still regard Canary Wharf as a financial district dominated by offices and populated by commuters, it’s also a residential area with lively bars, restaurants and five shopping centres.
It also has a new district, Wood Wharf, which is home to the first UK residential project by Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss architects behind the Tate Modern and Beijing’s Olympic stadium, The Bird’s Nest.
One Park Drive is one of the most distinctive new residential tower blocks in the country, let alone in London. The 58-storey cylindrical tower looks over the River Thames but its twisting design means none of the 483 apartments’ large balconies will be overlooked by neighbours.
And although this high-rise living – complete with 20m pool, gym, spa, cinema, library and lounge – is the last word in cool contemporary style, plans for the surrounding new district of Wood Wharf are reassuringly human in scale.
Eight acres of public spaces, squares and parks are being built to intersperse with a new high street-style shopping area, a doctors’ surgery and two-form primary school as well as up to 3,600 new homes – all just a 15-minute walk from the underground malls of Canary Wharf with shops ranging from supermarkets to those selling designer and luxury items.
These are just some of the reasons why Geoff and Stephanie Rampton have bought a three-bedroom loft apartment at One Park Drive, which will be completed this year.
With their three daughters now grown up, the self-employed management consultant and property investor moved from nearby Wapping after years of watching the Canary Wharf estate grow.
“It was an incredibly exciting prospect to be buying at the first UK residential project by Herzog & de Meuron,” says Stephanie.
“After seeing their designs in Tribeca, New York, we were fascinated by the wonderful exterior and shape of the building, which will offer a unique presence along the Canary Wharf skyline.
“Often the skyscrapers which have gone up around London in recent years all look the same but we feel that this one offers its own sense of personality.
“The wraparound terraces in the loft apartments will provide amazing views and, from our eighth-floor setting, we are looking forward to being able to have the vistas over the waterside.”
One Park Drive has three apartment styles. The Lofts have large wraparound terraces but, counter-intuitively, are on the lower floors of the building.
The Cluster is the name of the central section, where there is a variety of apartment styles to suit different budgets, with prices starting from £825,000 (020 7418 2000; canarywharf.com), while the Bay apartments are on the upper floors, with double-height balcony terraces to maximize light.
Farakh Iqbal and wife Nama Rashid have bought one of the Cluster apartments, attracted by the Crossrail connection at Canary Wharf that is set to open this year.
“We viewed a number of new-build schemes in Chelsea and Knightsbridge and were set on a property that offered the lifestyle amenities and beautiful interior design associated with developments in those locations,” admits Nama Rashid.
“But as soon as we saw the marketing suite for One Park Drive we were blown away by the quality of the finish; it was above anything else we had seen. The fact that it had all the extras we were looking for such as the spa and concierge, plus the brilliant transport links, really opened our eyes to living in Canary Wharf.”
She adds: “At Wood Wharf they have thought of everything. The community amenities, including the new primary school, are all things we will utilise when we look to start a family.”