1 Canada Square building (centre)
Canada Square at an oblique angle
1 Canada Square is the tallest building in London. At 235 metres (771ft) and 50 stories, it is the tallest habitable building in the United Kingdom (although the 330 metre tall Emley Moor television mast near Huddersfield is a taller structure). Despite its status as Britain's tallest building, there is no public observation floor - the view from the upper windows is the sole preserve of the building's tenants.
However, mirroring New York's ill-fated World Trade Center, the ground floor, foyer area and basement levels of 1 Canada Square are open to the general public, housing an underground shopping mall and a transport interchange from Canary Wharf tube and Docklands Light Railway stations.
It is named after Canada because it was built by the Canadian firm Olympia and York, which was owned by the Reichmann family. In building the Canary Wharf area the company went bankrupt.
The building is commonly known as the Canary Wharf Tower after the Canary Wharf business complex of which it is a part.
In 1996, part of the Canary Wharf complex was attacked by the IRA.
Without warning, in 2002, French urban climber, Alain "Spiderman" Robert, using only his bare hands and feet and with no safety devices of any kind, scaled the building's exterior wall all the way to the top.
See also
External link
Last updated: 10-11-2005 10:49:43
