The new attractions adding to the appeal of London’s newest urban hotspot

To attract top talent, businesses need office spaces that are not just easy to get to, but that are in vibrant locations with great amenities, from well-appointed sports facilities and best-in-class arts and culture experiences to lively bars and quality restaurants for client meetings and after-work drinks. These are all on offer within a few minutes’ stroll from Dockside Canada Water. 

Destination experiences have already been drawing visitors to the water’s edge, including the cutting-edge immersive Legend of the Titanic exhibition at Dock X and the wildly popular Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, an adventure based on the computer game, that sold 100,000 tickets in the first week.

One-off cultural events are also putting the area on the map, including the Rally festival, an annual music festival celebrating London’s underground music and arts scene. 

On September 1, Southwark Leisure Centre opens its doors, a new state-of-the-art facility with an 8-lane 25m swimming pool, learner pool, four-court sports hall, an 150+ station gym and three fitness studios.

This sporting centre joins the 40 other sports facilities in the area, including the dockside Padel courts and a multi-use sports court above the Decathlon store. 

The sports centre is one of a number of new amenities that are turning this neighbourhood into an appealing place to work, live and spend free time. 

The newly-unveiled interactive Trumpet Flowers installation brings public art and a sense of fun to the waterfront until September 22. These interactive giant floral sculptures by Amigo & Amigo are inspired by vintage gramophones and respond to movement and touch, and create a light show set to a jazz-infused musical score.

Meanwhile, new venues are set to give a boost to Canada Water’s emerging restaurant, bar and cafe scene, centred around the waterfront cultural centre and food destination Corner Corner. This dynamic hub is home to London’s biggest urban indoor vertical farm, supplying fresh produce for its food hall and all-day café as well as restaurants throughout London. 

This autumn, brewery Vagabond will bring the UK’s largest urban winery to the area, a space dedicated to trying and enjoying English wines produced on-site. 

Other restaurants preparing to open at Canada Water include Sushi Revolution and The Village Tree café, both run by restaurateurs who are already well-established in the area. 

Landmark buildings and great transport links are key to generating interest in new developments, but so are the amenities that enable a life outside of work. With its carefully-curated sports, gastronomic and cultural offerings, Canada Water is already on course to become one of London’s go-to districts for work as well as play.