HSBC Tower, London

8 Canada Square (also known as HSBC Group Head Office, or HSBC Tower) is a skyscraper located in the Canary Wharf development in the London Docklands. The building serves as the international headquarters for HSBC Holdings plc, the world's second largest bank by market value, and houses around 8,000 staff.

The tower was designed by Sir Norman Foster's team of architects. Construction began in 1997 and was completed in 2002. There are 45 floors in the 210 metre high tower, the joint second largest in the United Kingdom with the Citigroup Centre. Standing alongside the HSBC Tower are One Canada Square (known popularly as Canary Wharf); and the Citigroup Centre, which forms the British head office of the multinational US bank, Citigroup. The tower is not open to the public.

Proposal

With the movement of HSBC's group headquarters from Hong Kong to London in 1993, the firm decided that having thousands of employees scattered across the City of London was not an ideal situation. Between 1995 and 1997 a number of proposals were considered, including the redevelopment of the previous Group Head Office at 10 Lower Thames Street, London, however the DS-2 plot at Canary Wharf was chosen for the location and space available.

Having designed the Group's last head office at 1 Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong Sir (now Lord) Foster was appointed as architect. Arup became structural engineers for the project, and Davis Langdon Everest quantity surveyors.

Construction

Construction began in January 1999, with work beginning on the instalation of the 4,900 glass panels commencing in summer 2000.

Accident

In May 2000 the top of a tower crane that was being used in the construction of the tower overturned and fell to the ground below. Three people - the erection supervisor, a member of the erection crew and the crane driver - died as a result of injuries sustained in the fall. After a long and complex investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and the Metropolitan Police, no cause for the collapse could be determined with any certainty. As a result there were no manslaughter or health and safety charges brought against any parties regarding the incident, with the HSE's report being published in June 2005. A small memorial to the workers sits to the south of the building, just off the lawn in the centre of Canada Square.

Completion

The topping out ceremony took place in March 2001, with the hoisting in of the final steel girder attended by bankers, journalists and contractors. The first HSBC employees began work in the building on 2 September 2002, with phased occupation completed by 17 February 2003, and the building's official opening, by Sir John Bond, taking place on 2 April 2003.

Notable features

In line with HSBC's environmental principles energy efficient systems have been installed from the outset, along with recyclable furniture and equipment.

History Wall

A competition was held in order to select a feature for the ground floor lobby, unveiled by the then Group Chief Executive Sir Keith Whitson, the HSBC History Wall includes history, achievements and values of the Group fom the 18th to 21st centuries. The wall is 6.6 metres (22 feet) tall, with 3,743 images, including documents, photographs, portraits and illustrations of staff, buildings, businesses and events.

Stephen and Stitt

In common with other HSBC head office buildings, 8 Canada Square has a pair of bronze lions guarding the main entrance. These are copies of those which have stood outside 1 Queen's Road Central since 1935, and have eight coins inside each base in connection with the good fortune associated with it in Chinese tradition.

Key facts

Height — 210 metres or 700 feet.
Office space — 102,190 square metres or 1.1 million square feet.
Floors — 45 above ground.
Trading floors — housing the London treasury, capital markets and equities trading operations — are, at 4,180 square metres (45,000 square feet), one of the largest such locations in Europe, able to house up to 570 staff per floor.
Staff restaurant — 850 seater facility is the largest of its kind in Europe, serving arond 2,500 meals daily.
Concrete — 180,000 tons.
Steel — 14,000 tons.
Glass — 45,000 square metres or 484,200 square feet.

Transport

The nearest tube station is Canary Wharf serving the Jubilee Line, which can be reached undercover via Jubilee Place shopping centre, and Canary Wharf DLR station serving the Docklands Light Railway. A bus service ran to London City Airport, now replaced by the Docklands Light Railway.

External links

Skyscrapers in London | Tower Hamlets | HSBC

HSBC Tower (London) | 8 Canada Square

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