The first large-scale private development plan, the Canary Wharf Project, was launched in the mid-1980s. The Canadian developer Olympia & York bought the project and started construction in 1988 of what would become the heart of the Docklands redevelopment. The first office tower, Canary Wharf Tower (now One Canada Square), was built in 1990. At 800ft (243m) the pyramid-topped steel tower was the tallest building in Europe until the completion of the Messeturm in Frankfurt, Germany that same year. Many more office towers were planned but British corporations were reluctant to relocate to the remote site. Despite a promise by the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, there was no underground connection and the site lacked shopping areas and restaurants. The Docklands, a large area along the Thames riverfront on the eastern edge of London, was once home to the world’s busiest port.
To make matters worse, in 1992 a recession caused the property market to collapse. The developer went into bankruptcy and the whole project seemed to be an enormous failure.
The property market revived and the development project was bought by an international consortium backed by the former owners of Olympia & York.
And finally in 1999 the underground Jubilee In the 1960s, after the construction of the The tide turned during the second half of line was extended to the Millennium Dome, Thames Barrier - a storm surge barrier - and the 1990s. The property market revived and with a stop at Canary Wharf. Now only a modern container port in Tilbury, acthe development project was bought by an thirty minutes from the heart of London, tivity in the area came to a halt. The many international consortium backed by the Canary Wharf started to attract more and wharves and warehouses fell into decay. In former owners of Olympia & York. There’s more tenants, mostly financial institutions. 1981 the British government founded the more to see in Canary Wharf than just mod- Construction frenzy in the Docklands London Docklands Development Corpoern high-rise buildings. The area is home to Construction frenzy in the Docklands ration. Its purpose was the revitalisation of a couple of unique monuments and there’s The working population in the area rose to some 2100 hectares of docks (8 sq. mi). even a museum. over 30,000.
The proposal to site a large power station on the south bank of the River Thames at Battersea in 1927 caused a storm of protest that raged for years. Questions were raised in Parliament about pollution which might harm the paintings in the nearby Tate Gallery and the parks and “noble buildings of London”. Now Battersea Power Station is one of the best loved landmarks after serving London with electricity for 50 years. Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames.
In the UK during the 1920s electricity was supplied by numerous private companies who built small power stations for individual industries with some of the surplus power generated going to the public supply. There was a bewildering variety of incompatible systems, high cost and jealous competition between the numerous companies. This chaotic situation caused Parliament to decree that electricity generation should be a single unified system under public ownership.It was to be another 30 years before the electricity supply was nationalised. In the interim the formation of the London Power Company was a response by private owners to delay the imposition of public ownership. Set up in 1925 it took up Parliaments recommendation that electricity generation should be in fewer, larger power stations. This led directly to the building of the first super station, to produce 400,000 kilowatts, in Battersea.
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was commissioned to design the building. His other buildings include Liverpool Cathedral, Bankside Power Station, Waterloo Bridge and the classic red telephone box. In effect Battersea is two power stations and the familiar silhouette of four chimneys did not appear until 1953 and for the first 20 years the building had a long rather than four-square appearance, with a chimney at each end. But even this appearance caused positive comments, described as a temple of power and to rank as a London landmark equal with St. Paul’s Cathedral. In 1939 a survey of celebrities voted it their 2nd favourite building when canvassed by the Architects Journal. The building is in fact a steel girder frame and Sir Giles designed the exterior brick cladding and the tower-like bases of the four chimneys. It is the largest brick building in Europe. Throughout the whole of its life Battersea has been a symbol of the electricity industry to the media and the general public alike.
The Shard will become Western Europe’s tallest building when completed in May 2012. Designed by world renowned architect Renzo Piano, and standing at an inspiring 310 meters (1,016 feet), it will be an iconic and positive addition to the London skyline and a truly landmark project.
The Place, also designed by Renzo Piano, sits alongside the Shard and benefits from a stunning roof terrace. At 17 floors, it offers an impressive 600,000 sq ft of office space making it a perfect corporate headquarters. London Bridge Quarter integrates these two landmark buildings into one master planned project that will transform and upgrade Inspired by the spires of London’s churches London Bridge station to the highest stanand the top sails of the ships that used to dards of transport design, connecting seammoor on the Thames, the Shard is an elegant lessly to new public realm to transform the slim glass spire with individual ‘‘shards’’ that public space outside London Bridge Station make up the outer skin. The use of sophisinto a dynamic commercial and mixed use ticated glazing and angled panes reflect the area. London Bridge Quarter is a developlight as the sun moves, creating an elegant ment by Sellar on behalf of LBQ Ltd, a joint presence on the skyline. venture between Sellar Property Group and the State of Qatar. Located at London Bridge Quarter, replacing the 28 year old Southwark Tower, the In the photograph you can see it slightly scheme has been conceived by Renzo Piano undressed. Unusually for a tall building in as a mixed use ‘‘vertical city’’ that includes a London many of the floors will be open to public piazza, world class office space, an ex- the public. These include the viewing gallerclusive collection of residential apartments ies and of couse the restaurants. Each use of which will be the highest in the UK, the the tower - hotel, restuarants, appartments, 5-star Shangri-La Hotel with spa and pool viewing galleries and offices - will have its and international restaurants and viewing own separate entrance. The entrance to the galleries offering unprecedented 360 degree viewing galleries is on Joiner Street. views of London. Unlike other skyscrapers in London the Shard has a mix of elements to encourage public interaction, combining both public and private space in one energetic community. It is expected to become a new focal point in the capital and to be adopted enthusiastically by Londoners.
The building was formally opened on 5 July 2012 and a spectacular laser display was advertised to mark the event. Unfortunately this proved to be a bit of a damp squib - if bands like Yes in the 1980s could light up the entire hemisphere of the visible sky with amazing matrixes of laser light, why could this multi-million pound development only illuminate a few Victorian streets in Southwark with a zap or two? The Shard London Bridge was originally known as London Bridge Tower, however its detractors (which included English Heritage) shot themselves in the foot - they dismissed it as a “shard of glass” and the name stuck.