HOK To Design New Million-sf Barclays HQ At Canary Wharf

LONDON-Architect HOK International has been appointed to design the new headquarters complex for Barclays Bank at Canary Wharf. The one million-sf building will be located on Churchill Place, at the eastern end of the Canary Wharf estate.

The new building will link into the Canada Place/Cabot Place retail mall giving covered access to the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway stations. The building will be arranged over four basement levels, ground and 30 upper floors with 5 south facing atria to maximise natural light in the office areas.

Barclays has signed an agreement to occupy 650,000 sf initially, with the flexibility to move into more space if required. Construction and fitting out work on the building is scheduled to complete at the end of 2004, and Barclays’ head office staff will move early in 2005.

The deal means Canary Wharf has leased over 4.2 million sf in the last 18 months. Canary Wharf Group Executive Chairman Paul Reichmann said: ‘As Canary Wharf continues to build out, and other developments in the East London area proliferate, the City and Canary Wharf have become, and must be viewed as, a growing single economic and business entity, representing the dominant financial centre of Europe.’