North Quay

Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner are submitting a detailed planning application for a state-of-the-art commercial health and life sciences building at Canary Wharf’s North Quay.

The new 23-storey, 823,000 sq ft tower is designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and will set a new standard in the development of life sciences laboratories and workspace, resulting in Europe's largest and most technologically advanced life sciences facility.

The building has been designed to allow up to 60% of laboratories, with the ability to provide chemistry and high containment facilities.

The building’s infrastructure employs an innovative stacking programme allowing for a distributed mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering (MEP)strategy, across the stacks. This enables the building to provide laboratory space on every floor.

The community-focused design provides ultimate flexibility in tenant scale, arrangement, and expansion without losing the sense of being part of an exciting, collaborative environment.

The ground floor of the building will be open to the public, providing community spaces, a café and break-out areas for conferences and meet-ups in order to enhance collaboration within the building’s life science community.

The exterior was inspired by the industrial heritage of North Quay, with laboratory volumes clad in a grid of graphite aluminium and terracotta elements in a gradient of warm tones. The colour gradient emphasises the position of the central, social spine of the building and becomes an immediately recognisable feature creating a unique identity. For environmental performance and thermal comfort, solar shading is incorporated, which prevents overheating whilst allowing deep daylight penetration and views out.

The building incorporates dedicated clinical and chemical waste facilities, multiple goods lifts with oxygen monitors, freezer farms and specialised receiving and storage areas for hazardous, clinical and chemical goods. The building’s central service provision will include Nitrogen (gaseous & liquid), CO2 and compressed air.

A low-carbon strategy has been implemented across the development, which includes highly insulated and airtight building fabric, with an optimised façade, energy-efficient MEP systems and the provision of renewable sources and highly efficient photo voltaic panels.

The pioneering HVAC design utilising heat pumps and heat recovery systems allows the building to be one of the largest all-electric lab spaces in the world, in line with net zero ambitions. Embracing an all-electric heating and cooling strategy to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, the building is targeting BREEAM rating Excellent, with an aspiration for Outstanding for the laboratory and office areas. The building is targeting WELL-Platinum certification.

Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf Group, commented: “We have been developing our vision for a world-class life sciences hub at Canary Wharf since 2019, and this is a significant milestone in our journey. Canary Wharf offers an unrivalled and exceptional environment with access to great transport, over 80 cafes, bars, and restaurants, 20 acres of green spaces and 5 km of waterside boardwalks, as well as access to a wide range of amenities including open-water swimming, go-kart racing and an award-winning arts and events programme. This project will continue the transformation of Canary Wharf, providing a sustainable, mixed-use environment for the next generation of life science offices.”

Michel Leemhuis, CEO of Kadans Science Partner, said: “Kadans prides itself on being a leading contributor to the evolution of the life sciences sector and this impressive new building at North Quay is a great example of how we are driving the development of innovative state-of-the-art lab buildings. By capitalising on our previous experience and using lessons learned, we are able to make a significant step forward in the development of life science buildings. It marks a step change in the way ecosystems for knowledge-intensive businesses are designed and developed.”

Elie Gamburg, Design Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), added: “Connection breeds innovation – great discoveries often result from the confluence of ideas among seemingly disparate disciplines. For North Quay, we sought to design a spatial ecosystem to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in a dense urban environment. Traditional lab buildings have been low-rise campuses, but North Quay generates an innovative new paradigm – the vertical campus. Technical areas and social spaces are intermingled in a sustainable development that provides a dynamic place for discovery and invites the public in. An active waterfront, reinterpreting the Quayside docks, is created for an evolving Canary Wharf.”

There are quite a few science-led businesses that are already located in Canary Wharf, with Genomics England, one of the world’s most cutting-edge life science organisations, moving into One Canada Square. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is at 10 South Colonnades, UCL Management School at One Canada Square and the General Pharmaceutical Council at 25 Canada Square.

Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner have appointed Cushman & Wakefield and JLL as leasing agents for the 800,000 sq ft commercial laboratory building North Quay.

The 23-storey building will be completed in 2026 and will be the largest commercial wet lab-enabled life science building in Europe.

Richard Archer, Managing Director, Canary Wharf Group, commented: “The appointment of Cushman & Wakefield and JLL is a reflection of our commitment to assembling a best-in-class team to deliver the biggest and most innovative life sciences development in Europe. We already have a significant amount of interest from potential occupiers in relation to our plans and will aim to start leasing space concurrent with construction. At the same time, we will also look to build on the momentum of the recent leasing to Genomics England at One Canada Square, as we establish a major life science ecosystem Canary Wharf.”

James Sheppard Managing Director UK & Ireland at Kadans Science Partner said “Both Cushman & Wakefield and JLL have first class specialist life science teams, who will bring exceptional expertise and experience that is highly complementary of our own intrinsic insight into the requirements and modus operandi of the life science and healthcare industry. We are targeting an official marketing launch of the new development at North Quay early next year.”

Paddy Shipp, Head of UK Life Sciences Agency at JLL added: “London is an extremely exciting market for the UK’s life science sector where we are seeing significant occupational demand for best-in-class lab space in London. This landmark development will be truly unique and JLL are thrilled to be working with the joint venture in bringing it forward in the heart of East London’s knowledge cluster.”

Jamie Renison, Head of Life Sciences Agency UK at Cushman & Wakefield, commented: “This pioneering new development at North Quay will have a transformational effect on the life sciences sector in London, further enhancing the UK’s status as a centre for research, innovation and discovery. We are excited to be helping Canary Wharf Group and Kadans create the environment and ecosystem in which companies have everything they need to flourish and grow, using the strength and connectivity of our global life sciences platform to do so.”

The 3.3-hectare North Quay site is located on the doorstep of Canary Wharf’s new Elizabeth line station, providing excellent connectivity to central London and Heathrow.

The new building, designed by KPF, will meet the highest sustainability and technological standards. Kadans' experience curating multi-let lab projects with vibrant communities will help create a new campus under one roof, housing SME's and academics as well as global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Canary Wharf is home to a number of leading healthcare and life sciences-focused organisations, including Genomics England, Barts Health NHS Trust, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Medical Defence Union, General Pharmaceutical Council and NHS Transformation.

Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner are preparing to submit a new planning application for North Quay in December 2022.

Canary Wharf Group has recently formed a joint venture with Kadans Science Partner to develop a 481,000 sq ft commercial laboratory building at North Quay, further diversifying the tenant mix on the estate.

The development site has been granted outline planning consent for an almost 2.5m sq ft scheme with flexibility across a range of uses including office, residential, hotel or serviced apartments, co-living space and retail.

Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner have formed a joint venture to develop a new 750,000 sq ft GIA life-science focused, wet lab enabled building on the 3.3ha North Quay site.

The 22-storey 750,000sq ft building will be the largest commercial wet lab enabled life science building in Europe.

The building, designed by KPF and built to the highest environmental and technological requirements, will draw on Kadans' experience creating a multi-let lab and office developments with thriving communities. The structure will house SME's, academia, as well as global healthcare and pharmaceutical firms, creating a campus under one roof.

Shobi Khan, CEO Canary Wharf Group, commnted: “Canary Wharf Group has been developing a vision for health and life sciences since 2019 and we are proud to be working with an exceptional partner in Kadans, the European leader in the development and management of life sciences buildings and ecosystems.”

“We are creating a world class building that will provide state of the art laboratory, office and innovation space for some of the most exciting and fast-growing businesses in the health and life sciences sector.”

“Canary Wharf is a true live, work and play destination, with 20 acres of outdoor green space, 5 km of dockside boardwalks, hundreds of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. We have developed 2,300 apartments on site with another 2,300 homes currently under construction – we have homes for every income level, which will enable researchers and their colleagues to live close by.”

“There could not be a better environment for the U.K.’s most innovative life sciences businesses.”

Michel Leemhuis, CEO of, Kadans Science Partner said: “Kadans aims to contribute to the innovative power of the life sciences sector by developing state-of-the-art lab buildings as well as offering support and an international community.”

“This joint venture with Canary Wharf Group, which is fully supported by our sponsor and partner AXA IM Alts, provides us with a rare opportunity to not only develop a significant and sustainable new life sciences lab building, which will be the largest in Europe, but also for it to be the catalyst for a new world-leading life sciences cluster and ecosystem in the U.K. capital.”

“The Canary Wharf district offers exceptional connectivity, providing access to a huge talent pool and numerous funding partners from its existing tenant base, which will be a highly compelling combination for potential occupiers as well as an exceptional addition to our existing network.”

Cushman & Wakefield advised CWG and JLL advised Kadans.

Canary Wharf Group’s 355,000 sqm (GIA) North Quay site took a big step forward last night when the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee unanimously resolved to approve the scheme.

North Quay is immediately adjacent to the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) Station and two Docklands Light Railway Stations making it one of the best-connected sites in London. It is the largest remaining development site at Canary Wharf and one of the largest in central London.

This Net Zero Carbon mixed use masterplan gives Canary Wharf Group the flexibility to build between 150,000 and 240,000 sq m of offices, and between 30,000 and 150,000 sq m of residential space.  

Architects Allies and Morrison have produced a masterplan which includes cutting edge sustainability features including green roofs, green walls and a commitment to biodiversity.

Hotels, student housing, co-living and other uses are also permitted within the masterplan.

The outline masterplan also includes up to 60,000 sq m of waterside retail, food and beverage uses along with new pedestrian and cycle routes.

There will be 0.8 hectares (two acres) of new open spaces and public realm including a new 200m dockside promenade.

Shobi Khan, Chief Executive of Canary Wharf, said: “North Quay will be at the cutting edge of sustainability and a Net Zero Carbon development, reflecting our Climate Pledge commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2030, and our track record of being the UK’s largest developer of sustainable space.”

“This project will continue the successful expansion of Canary Wharf, providing a world-class mixed-use environment for the next generation of offices, designed to accommodate sectors such as technology and life sciences.”

“It is one of the best-connected sites in London and will form part of the vibrant 15-minute, 24/7 city which we have created at Canary Wharf.”

“We look forward to completing the planning process and to bringing forward the first phase of the project in the near future.”