Wardian London is a residential-led development under construction at Marsh Wall on the
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ham ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
from Eco World-Ballymore and designed by architect firm
Glenn Howells
Glenn Paul Howells (born 15 July 1961) is a British architect and a director and founder of Glenn Howells Architects.
Early life
Howells was born in Stourbridge, England and educated in Plymouth.
Practice
His practice, Glenn Howells Archite ...
. The scheme consists of two
skyscrapers
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
and was approved by
Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...
council in November 2014. Upon completion, expected to be early 2021, Wardian London will be one of the tallest residential developments in London and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Background and design
Original plans
Prior to the current scheme, developer
Ballymore had been granted planning permission for a 525,000 sq ft office development on the same site. This proposal consisted of two towers of 26 and 16 storeys. Building work got as far as completing part of the basement before Ballymore abandoned the scheme due to a lack of tenancy agreements.
New proposal
In 2013, Ballymore applied for new planning permission for two, residential-led towers designed by Glenn Howells Architects in the Isle of Dogs, just south of
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lo ...
. The scheme was granted planning permission on 6 November 2014 by councillors at Tower Hamlets council.
The two towers are 55 and 50 storeys. The East Tower is the larger of the two skyscrapers and rises to in height while the West Tower reaches ,
making them two of the tallest residential buildings approved in London and in the United Kingdom. The skyscrapers are linked at their base by a podium.
In total, the development will provide 766 residential apartments.
In 2015, the development name was changed from Arrowhead Quay to Wardian London.
Sale
In January 2015, Ballymore announced a deal with Malaysian property investment company, Eco World, in which Ballymore sold Wardian London to Eco World as well as two other schemes, namely,
Embassy Gardens and phase two of its London City Island development for £428m. This created a holding company known as Eco World-Ballymore Holding Company Limited. Ballymore own 25 per cent of the company and Eco World own the remaining 75 per cent. However, Ballymore will continue to manage the three schemes within the new company.
Construction
Construction for the two towers topped out in August 2019, with the first residents moving in during early 2020.
Final construction of the development is due to be complete in early 2021.
Location
The skyscrapers are located east of 163 Marsh Wall on the Isle of Dogs, to the immediate south of Canary Wharf's commercial district. The nearest stations are
South Quay DLR and
Heron Quays DLR. The closest
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
station is
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lo ...
.
See also
List of tallest buildings and structures in London
St Paul's Cathedral, built in 1710, was the tallest building in London at until it was overtaken in 1963 by the Millbank Tower at , which in turn was overtaken by the BT Tower which topped out at tall in 1964. In the 1960s and 1970s several h ...
List of tallest buildings in the United Kingdom
As of December 2022 there are 148 habitable buildings (used for living and working in, as opposed to masts and religious use) in the United Kingdom at least tall, 117 of them in London, 15 in Greater Manchester, 5 in Birmingham, 3 in Leeds, 2 ...
References
Further reading
London's highest botanical gin garden goes on saleat theguardian.com
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.wardianlondon.com Wardianlondon.com
Glenn Howells Architecture websiteGlennHowells.co.uk
Canary Wharf buildings
Proposed skyscrapers in London
Skyscrapers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Millwall