{"id":3000007149,"date":"2019-12-19T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000007149"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:29:43","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:29:43","slug":"wework-opens-in-historic-canary-wharf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/workspace-solutions\/flexible-products\/wework-opens-in-historic-canary-wharf","title":{"rendered":"WeWork opens in historic Canary Wharf, embodiment of London’s future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than 100,000 people arrive at London\u2019s Canary Wharf every morning, drawn by the businesses, shops, and restaurants housed in sparkling highrises towering above the River Thames. But this bustling complex\u2014the entranceway to the Isle of Dogs peninsula and the home of London\u2019s financial district\u2014was not always so lively. Where now Canary Wharf is one of the largest contributors to the UK economy, and the wider borough, Tower Hamlets, is the fastest growing in London, the history of the Isle of Dogs is dotted with fallbacks and struggle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As WeWork opens its first building in Canary Wharf at 30 Churchill Place<\/a>\u2014a shared workspace that features 12 floors of more than 6,000 desks and premium amenities including spaces for meditation, a rooftop terrace, and a speakeasy hidden in the library\u2014it\u2019s in stark contrast to the neighborhood\u2019s storied past. The history of Canary Wharf reflects London\u2019s political and economic background, and signifies the promise and potential of the city\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, the area is one of the main financial districts within the UK, and you\u2019ll find many locals from surrounding areas come to Canary Wharf for shopping and leisure during weekends,\u201d says Zoe Mitchell, a community manager at WeWork 30 Churchill Place<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left<\/strong>: Barrels of molasses, West India Docks, London, 1926-1927. Photograph courtesy of Getty Images Right<\/strong>: Exterior of WeWork 30 Churchill Place. Photograph by WeWork <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The story of Canary Wharf begins in the late 1600s, when docks were built at Rotherhithe in Southwark, directly across the river from the Isle of Dogs. This opened London to trade with other British colonies and quickly gave way to larger operations, including the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs\u2014the site Canary Wharf now occupies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rapidly, the Isle of Dogs grew in industry and employment. Almost as many people were employed at the docks<\/a> in the 1800s as there are at Canary Wharf today; it was the busiest port in the world. People from all over England and Europe came to the neighborhood looking for work, and the mix in nationality and culture could likely be compared with the city\u2019s current population\u2014nearly 40 percent of London residents<\/a> are from overseas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in a name? <\/strong>Canary Wharf was named after the 32nd berth<\/a> of the West Wood Quay, which was built in 1936 for the importation of fruit from the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. The same way the Canary Islands were given its name by Spanish settlers inspired by the islands\u2019 native dogs (\u201ccanis\u201d is Latin for \u201cdog\u201d), the Isle of Dogs was named after the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A global hub of business and trade<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Through the 1800s and into the 20th century, London\u2019s East End was a global economy supported by business on the Isle of Dogs. But the good times didn\u2019t last: The docklands and London\u2019s East End were hit hard in World War II. More than 2,500 bombs<\/a> were dropped on the area in an attempt to hinder the route of supplies flowing from London to the troops overseas and into London from the U.S. and wider Europe.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left<\/strong>: The original Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands, just before its redevelopment to become the financial center of Europe, UK. Photograph courtesy of In Pictures Ltd.\/Corbis via Getty Images Right<\/strong>: Exterior of WeWork 30 Churchill Place. Photograph by WeWork <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The area never fully recovered, and this decline was intensified by the introduction of cargo ships, which needed larger docks and deeper water to berth. Newer docks were created elsewhere and, by the 1980s, what had been a thriving, bursting economy was a wasteland of unemployment and abandoned buildings. Every dock was closed, and the area became a hotbed for crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London\u2019s next business district<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite public protests (some involving a herd of shepherd dogs and the release of more than 150,000 bees<\/a> in the neighborhood), plans for mass revitalization began in 1981 with the establishment of the London Docklands Development Corporation. The docklands were slated to become London\u2019s next business district, home to new transportation options and anchored by the 50-story One Canada Square, which would be the tallest building in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher first broke ground<\/a> on the construction site in 1988, no one could predict that the company in charge of the project, Olympia & York, would soon fall victim to the city\u2019s crashing property market. Having successfully opened One Canada Square in 1991, the company went on to file for bankruptcy a year later, and the area once again became a scene of desolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to call up the CEOs of different companies and ask them [why they didn\u2019t like Canary Wharf],\u201d said<\/a> Lord Levene\u2014a former mayor of London who became the chief executive of the Canary Wharf Group in 1997. \u201cMany of them simply felt that it was too far away\u2014on the other side of the moon\u2014and it would be impossible to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The largest urban regeneration project in Europe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gradually the vision for a new business district was realized after the site was purchased by an international group of investors in 1995; Canary Wharf became the largest urban regeneration project in Europe. Today more than 17 million square feet of corporate real estate houses Fortune 500 companies, international banks, and media companies\u2014spurring a wider revival of businesses and residential areas throughout Tower Hamlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WeWork 30 Churchill Place<\/a> in London. Photograph by WeWork<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WeWork to \u2018challenge traditional office space\u2019 in Canary Wharf<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WeWork 30 Churchill Place opened its first floors in December and\u2014once complete\u2014will be one of WeWork\u2019s largest locations in the world. It \u201cchallenges the typical expectation of traditional office space in Canary Wharf<\/a>\u201d and caters to growing startups, medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The space, which will open fully next spring, features WeWork\u2019s first conference center (a suite spanning 11 boardrooms) and a WeWork Labs<\/a> to help early-stage tech startups stay innovative and scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLondon is a very successful and important market for us, so we are really excited to have opened our doors in one of the city\u2019s most attractive business districts with such an innovative building,\u201d says Mathieu Proust, general manager for WeWork in the UK and Ireland. \u201cWe\u2019re creating a diverse, inspiring environment at 30 Churchill Place so people from all sorts of industries and companies can work, connect, and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WeWork 30 Churchill Place community manager Mitchell shares the best places to eat, drink, and bask in history at Canary Wharf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best places to eat in Canary Wharf  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n