Canary Wharf Group plc is showcasing for the first time its proposed design for the top levels of the new Isle of Dogs Crossrail station at North Dock, immediately north of Canary Wharf.

An exhibition for local residents and workers currently running in locations throughout Docklands outlines the proposed design for the top four levels above the station. The proposed scheme includes approximately 100,000 square feet of new shops and restaurants designed by architects Foster + Partners and a public park designed by Gillespies, linked to a restaurant and children’s centre or similar public facility.

It is proposed that Canary Wharf Group will construct the Crossrail station and related pedestrian links, which include walkways to the station from the North (to and from Poplar) and South (to the Isle of Dogs via Canary Wharf.)

The proposal to develop the upper levels to provide open space and retail is not part of the Crossrail Bill currently before Parliament and will be the subject of a separate planning application to be submitted to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets later this summer.

Howard Dawber, Strategic Advisor at Canary Wharf Group, says quality of design and environmental considerations played an important part in the proposed scheme:

“The scheme aims to be distinct from the commercial buildings at Canary Wharf, but achieve the same high standards of design quality and environmental performance,” says Dawber.

“Sustainability needs to be an integral part of the design and construction process from the start. We are continuing to fine tune the design to minimise impact on the environment and maximise the benefits to the local community and visitors to Canary Wharf,” he says.

A focal point of the proposed scheme is a landscaped, public park on the roof of the shops and cafes. The park will use lush native plant species and water features, encouraging the ecological biodiversity of the Canary Wharf Estate and surrounding areas. It will be open-air except for an elegant timber lattice roof, providing shelter in inclement weather and offering views of the dock and beyond.

The roof above the proposed shops and restaurants will be largely translucent or transparent to maximise natural light and minimise energy consumption.

Dawber is enthusiastic about the benefits the Crossrail project will bring to Docklands, London and the UK.

“Canary Wharf Group has been an active supporter of the Crossrail scheme for nearly 10 years, as we recognise it is essential to the future growth of London as a world financial and business centre,” he says.


Notes to Editor:

Images are available on request.

The exhibition is running in Canada Place Mall from 12-14 July, St Matthias Community Centre, Poplar on 15-16 July and the Museum in Docklands on 17-18 July.

The proposed Crossrail station retail scheme is designed by Foster + Partners, architects of the award-winning Canary Wharf Jubilee Line Station.

The proposed park scheme is designed by Gillespies, one of the UK’s foremost landscape designers.

Crossrail remains subject to the passage of the Crossrail Bill, now proceeding through Parliament, and is likely to receive Royal Assent later in 2008. It is proposed that full construction of the Crossrail project will get underway in 2010, with services commencing in 2017.

Crossrail's £15.9 billion funding package was announced by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, on 5 October 2007.

The proposed Crossrail route will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through a tunnel under central London and several new stations, to the Isle of Dogs and out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, joining the Great Western and Great Eastern railway networks.

About Canary Wharf Group plc

The prime business function of CWG is the building and leasing of Grade A office and retail space at its 97 acre estate in East London (“the Estate”). Over the last twenty years it has constructed more office space in London than any other property group totalling over 14 million sq. ft of commercial space. The development now comprises 33 office buildings and over 200 shops, bars and restaurants within four retail malls. It also has a conference and banqueting centres, two Docklands Light Railways stations, a Jubilee Line station, car parks and approximately 20 acres of landscaped open spaces.

CWG owns completed properties amounting to approximately 7.9 million sq ft. CWG also owns and controls the retail space (approximately 740,000 sq ft), Wintergardens (40,000 sq ft) and public parking, (approx. 1.5m sq ft) as well as the roads (totalling 6.8 km) and parks and open spaces on the Estate (totalling 382,900 sq ft) in addition to land held for future development. It is through this ownership and the management of the entire 97 acre Estate that CWG controls the integrity of the Estate which enhances the value of the whole.