Canary Wharf

Eden Dock: Canary Wharf's Breath of Fresh Air

It's not really my style. I would rather choose old buildings with a bit of character than these new ones, but for some reason I've always been drawn to Canary Wharf. Maybe it's because there's so much history here. Stories from all corners of the world were told by the people who passed through the old docks. I like to think a part of them stayed behind. The new buildings are some sort of continuation of that history, with new stories told by a different kind of international worker.

There's one thing about Canary Wharf, though, that I can really get behind. Eden Dock opened in October 2024, created in collaboration with the Eden Project in Cornwall. It puts a new twist on modern corporate urban planning by bringing nature back into the middle of all that concrete and glass.

What is the Eden Project?

The Eden Project calls itself a “cathedral to the power and importance of nature.” Inside, you'll find a tropical rainforest and a Mediterranean garden. Outside, there are over 20 acres of landscape that changes with every season. Altogether, that's over 6,000 plant species from all over the world. It opened in 2001, and it's a charity that wants to teach people not only how to care for nature, but also how nature can care for us. So teaming up with a place full of offices where souls go to die? That's a bit of a statement.

The floating gardens

There's a real mix of plants here: grasses, shrubs, wildflowers and small trees. They grow on floating islands, in wire baskets sitting in the water, and in planters along the boardwalk. There are 70 to 80 different species, chosen to give bees and birds a home all year round.

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There's a whole world under the surface too. The roots hanging under the floating islands give fish and other small creatures somewhere to shelter and feed. They've also added artificial kelp forests and hanging “coral shells” to create even more habitats. An underwater camera on the boardwalk lets you take a look.

The green figures

To mark the opening, they added “a living artwork” called Nature Rising: over 20 human figures made of ligustrum, a flowering shrub. The figures are meant to represent “nature and people living together in harmony”.

A lot of people tell me they find them creepy. To be fair, some of them now look like Davy Jones's crew on a day off from the Flying Dutchman. I like them, though. I like the anthropomorphisation of nature in those green dudes. I'd play with them if they came to life.

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It's a nice place to stop and reflect for a bit, especially on a sunny day. It's not much, and you could walk past it in a couple of minutes, but I like the direction it points towards. Seeing people take a break from their busy days to sit down, chat and just enjoy being there isn't something to take lightly, not in Canary Wharf. Every time I pass, there's someone taking in the stillness and quiet beauty of nature, sometimes in solitude, sometimes in a cheerful group.

Canary Wharf Group calls it “another step in the evolution of Canary Wharf 3.0”. And you can see what they mean. New homes are going up, places to relax are appearing, new artworks are popping up, and Canary Wharf is slowly becoming more than just a place to work. Eden Dock might be a small part of that transformation, but it's one I particularly like.

How to get there

Eden Dock is a few minutes' walk from Canary Wharf (Elizabeth and Jubilee lines) and West India Quay on the DLR. It's free and open all year.