Yesterday I was invited to a private boat tour of the new Wood Wharf by the Canary Wharf Group PLC. One of the star new buildings in this property development is One Park Drive. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss practice that designed the Tate Modern and the Bird’s Nest in Beijing.
The first of it’s kind at Canary Wharf, a residential tower, One Park Drive will house 483 apartments.
The design of this residential project is unique with 3 unique sections, Loft, Cluster and Bay. Each section clearly visible from the change in the design of the external facade of the building.
Who is buying these homes?
Naturally, CEOs and Directors from the companies headquartered at Canary Wharf would be interested in these apartments as they’re so close to the office. It was also interesting to find out that the demographic of companies in the area was changing rapidly with more tech and media companies moving in, making financial institutions only 55% of the companies here.
A large number of investors find this area very appealing too and the Clusters were designed exactly for this use. They are at the heart of the building and designed with a neutral palette to appeal to a broader audience.
The larger Loft apartments are little trophy apartments to add to your collection. Beautifully designed with wraparound terraces (each room has its own semi-private outdoor space), and cleverly engineered rooms that can open up and close with a simple pocket door system. Making a 2 bedroom into a 3 bedroom or a 3 bedroom into a 4 bedroom. Excellently designed spaces and perfect for families who are looking for city living. Some of the buyers have been couples who have sold their big family homes and wanting to move to the city to be closer to cultural attractions and restaurants. So there’s a real mix of people moving in, and that makes for a great community.
The Bay apartments, with their double-height terraces, will have the most spectacular views over London. Being at the top of the building, where the facade of the building looks like it’s twisting, makes these perfect homes for those wanting a city pad.
Interior Design
The interior design of One Park Drive was done by two firms. Bowler James Brindley designed the Loft apartments and Goddard Littlefair designed the Cluster and Bay apartments.
On the 31st floor of One Canada Square is where the marketing suite and show apartments are laid out exactly to the spec of the apartments in One Park Drive, including ceiling heights and terraces.
Each group of apartments, Loft, Bay and Cluster are distinguished by their unique interior design. There is so much storage space and flexibility of layouts. I like to change around my space quite often and this is possible in these apartments. Each apartment has a terrace which I think is paramount when buying an apartment. I don’t like not being able to open windows and have outdoor space.
The interior design in the Loft is very tactile, a lot of complementary textures, from resin floors to mother of pearl bathrooms, textured wallpapers, mirrors and beautiful joinery. Layered onto this is an incredibly well put together scheme of fabrics, that introduces more texture and makes the apartment feel comfortable and tactile. I must have touched almost every surface and fabric in the space (the team commented on this…). Clever use of design to encourage people to interact with the show apartment.
The Cluster and Bay apartments, being a little smaller than the Loft apartments, used mirrors and very clever spatial planning to make the most of each space. The 1 bedroom Cluster apartment, features a full walkthrough dressing room when entering the bedroom, a truly unique feature for a 1 bedroom. These spaces used concrete, wood, leather, and uniquely, wooden doors that replicated the pattern of the cladding on the outside of the building.
Why Canary Wharf?
You have to remember that even though we think of Canary Wharf being a little far away, the Jubilee line does connect you to Green Park in less than 20 minutes and with the introduction of the Elizabeth Line, you’ll be in Mayfair in 13 minutes. You’ve also got City airport a few stops away on the DLR too.
The community is important and Canary Wharf Group invest in public events covering, art, theatre, sport etc. New schools are being built and a new overground shopping district that is being modelled on Marylebone High Street. It’s a pretty thriving modern new space and contrasts with the old charm of Mayfair. This is bold modern living.
One Park Drive is the centrepiece of the new Wood Wharf district and there are 3,600 new homes, 380,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 8 acres of public spaces, parks and plazas planned.
To find out more visit One Park Drive.
