For a city as historic as London, coming across something truly new is rare but, in Wood Wharf, visitors and residents are finding somthing truly innovative. While integrating seamlessly with the wider Canary Wharf community, which is more connected, growing and greener than ever, Wood Wharf has its own distinct character, architecture and building typographies. The architects at Allies and Morrison researched the area’s history to ensure that its ideas would reflect both the modern urban scale of Canary Wharf and the drama of the surrounding waterways. The result? A versatile neighbourhood that has been designed so its community can thrive right on its doorstep.

The Wood Wharf masterplan features smaller, more relatable buildings, humanises streets by lining them with shops and cafés, and introduces homes – and schools – for thousands of residents. The public realm takes centre stage in a layout that emphasises the spaces between buildings as much as the buildings themselves. The ground level is animated by detail – by streets and squares, promenades and parks – laid out to maximise sunlight, and natural landscapes engage with the dock edges. This connection to the water gave Wood Wharf its name; it became associated with the storage of timber in the 19th century because it was strategically located near the West India Dock, which facilitated the transport of goods from the British West Indies.

Today, Wood Wharf celebrates this history, having transformed into a vibrant community encompassing zones that blend homes, businesses, leisure, art and culture, like Union Square; this versatile urban oasis is ready to be enjoyed year-round. Wood Wharf is a stone’s throw from Montgomery Square (the seasonal home of Minigolf by Craig & Karl) and fringed by the waters of South Dock, which stretches from Heron Quays to Harbour Quay Gardens.

Harbour Quay Gardens outdoor gym

Harbour Quay Gardens

Step onto the peaceful waterside boardwalk and feel the neighbourhood coming alive: Canary Wharf’s new aparthotel Vertus Edit has recently opened its doors here, welcoming guests to its stylish studios for as long as they choose to stay, while more Vertus homes are on the horizon and The Lanes are filling with an exciting array of independent retailers. Every day, locals jog past morning coffee drinkers, neighbours catch up along the water’s edge and visitors pausing to take in the view, each making their own tranquil moment of connection.

Remarkable architecture

Rather than the traditional separation of uses into different development plots, the masterplan opts for hybridised plots and puts an emphasis on the public realm, explains Allies and Morrison. “Instead of large floorplates, public open spaces take centre stage. In lieu of cul-de-sacs and dead ends, a straightforward street pattern encourages people to move around and creates logical connections to the rest of the Isle of Dogs, so that Wood Wharf feels like a legible piece of the city. This also creates a range of regularly shaped and adaptable urban blocks.”

The team drew upon its extensive urban experience, devising a set of maximum parameters – or ‘jelly mould’ – to define the minimum/maximum building envelopes across the site, “ensuring both consistency and compactness of its urban character regardless of how the uses are allocated over time”. In terms of sustainability and modernity, buildings are world-class; 20 Water Street is already BREEAM Outstanding, and 15 Water Street and 30 Harbord Square are Target BREEAM Outstanding.

Culture and shopping

The Wood Wharf masterplan animates spaces at street level, installing shops, artworks and cultural venues to add local character. Joining the pieces already in place is a giant whale made from recycled plastic waste. Whale on the Wharf (Skyscraper) by StudioKCA is now one of Canary Wharf’s 100-plus permanent artworks, which make up the largest outdoor free-to-visit public collection in the UK; click here to find out more.

Also taking shape is a bespoke, 1,200-capacity theatre which will be home to the first ever live adaptation of The Hunger Games, as well as two bars, a restaurant and waterside terrace. “It’s hugely exciting,” says CWG’s Stuart Fyfe, MD of Retail, Leisure & Hospitality. “People are already enjoying many fantastic cultural experiences in Canary Wharf – from Fairgame, Pitch and Electric Shuffle to Illusionaries and Broadwick Studio – and it’s incredibly exciting to be welcoming this ground-breaking production. Our excellent transport links will attract thousands to Canary Wharf and further boost the cultural landscape in London. We’re also proud to be transforming a currently unused site into a cultural destination that will be enjoyed seven days a week.” Click here for more details about the production.

Wayne Salon

The Flower Club, Canary Wharf

In the red-brick buildings of The Lanes is a new hub of shops and services, including nail salon Awe London, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, florist The Flower Club and The Island Studio for reformer Pilates. This area will also soon welcome even more independent wellness innovators, culinary destinations and stylish boutiques.

Food, drink and leisure

Wood Wharf has an enviable roster of restaurants, adding to the already thriving dining scene in Canary Wharf. It’s home to Dishoom – revered for its Bombay-inspired cuisine – and in one of Water Street’s floating pavilions can be found the exceptional Hawksmoor. You’ll find world-class plant-based fare at mallow; foodies who appreciate the stellar reputation and nose-to-tail, root-to-stem ethos of Fallow St James and FOWL flock to Roe, while burger lovers worship Patty&Bun.

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

Roe, Canary Wharf

Already hugely popular is Third Space; the luxury health club’s first Canary Wharf site is found in Canada Square and the second is on Charter Street. Here, locals exercise and relax in high-spec, high-tech spaces, including hot yoga and reformer Pilates studios, 20m pool and all the classes and equipment gym-goers could possibly want. Also bringing the community together is MMy Wood Wharf, with its sustainable street food traders and large south-facing terrace.

More unusual but just as embraced by locals and visitors alike is THE CUBE, only found in Wood Wharf and in Manchester; based on the TV show of the same name, groups of four attempt seven games in the glass box. Specialist recording studio Qube East is located just over the road; book one of a dozen pro-level studios or join as a member if you’re a keen DJ, podcaster, photographer or musician.

Live and stay

The boardwalk in Wood Wharf

Standing proud on the waterfronts of Wood Wharf are buildings whose residents benefit both from world-class design and the neighbourhood that surrounds them. One Park Drive’s striking, geometric circular tower forms a focal point, flanked by elegant 10 Park Drive, quieter and more horizontal in emphasis; red-bricked 8 Harbord Square has a distinctive New York loft style.

The award-winning 8 Water Street and 10 George Street, with expansive terraces, extensive amenities and a year-round calendar of events for residents, are part of a collective of exceptional apartments to rent by Vertus. Affordable apartments are available at 50 and 65 Harbord Square, and at the new Vertus Edit aparthotel studios at 3 and 15 West Lane stay for a week, a month or longer, whether you’re here for work, fun or both.

For those just visiting, TRIBE, the innovative, six-storey hotel in the heart of Wood Wharf, which opened in 2022, continues to welcome digital nomads, adventurous travellers and everyone in between. Those staying here may choose to enjoy the California-inspired delights of the hotel’s Feels Like June restaurant and bar.

Workspaces

A different kind of creativity is being celebrated within Wood Wharf’s 20 Water Street. Opened in 2022, this contemporary office, with open floorplates, outdoor space on every level and a 50-metre terrace on level 10, is home to JLL, businesses from the life sciences sector and the Kadans’ Innovation Centre – fully fitted, best-in-class laboratories and amenity-rich spaces for developing life science companies.

“When designing offices of any size,” explains Tracy Ogino, Director of Interior Design at CWG, “we are always mindful that a business’s success depends on its people. We’re committed to enhancing working environments for those who use them, fostering a sense of community, creativity, growth and collaboration.” CWG’s stylish, fully fitted MadeFor: workspaces, available in 20 Water Street, exemplify this approach, comprising spaces of all sizes with defined functions, varying degrees of privacy and thoughtful elements like height-adjustable desks. Click here to find out more about the breadth and quality of workspaces in Canary Wharf.

What next?

2026 will see the launch of the next phase of the Wood Wharf masterplan, delivering more homes in the form of rental apartments by Vertus, student flats and affordable accommodation. Until then? More independent restaurants and boutique shops will open, and more unique events will take place, encouraging everyone to explore and enjoy this dynamic part of Canary Wharf.

Find out more at canarywharf.com