8 Canada Square
Earlier this year I was commissioned to photograph inside the iconic HSBC Tower at Canary Wharf.
8 Canada Square (or the HSBC Tower) is the global headquarters of the HSBC Group. Foster + Partners were originally appointed as the architects as they had designed their previous head office in Hong Kong.
When the tower was completed in 2002 it became the joint second tallest building in the UK and set new standards in environmental performance. The building has 45 floors and houses approximately 8,000 employees.
Externally, the curved corners soften the form, and the transparent shaft is capped with an illuminated ‘halo’ – a distinctive element on the skyline.
The interior is equally as impressive with increasingly spectacular views as you climb the levels.
HSBC has maximised the space available to create an open and relaxing workspace. As you might expect from a building of this size, 8 Canada Square is more than just offices. There’s plenty of room for leisure in the building, allowing employees to take time out from the hectic banking environment. A gym shares the fifth floor with trading offices, while the entire first and sixth floors are dedicated to restaurants for employees and clients.
