Greengage was part of the team delivering the multi award-winning Eden Dock in Canary Wharf – a groundbreaking public space with floating gardens, marine habitats and social terraces that exemplifies sustainable placemaking.
Clients and collaborators
- Developer: CWG
- Masterplanners and Lead Designer: Howells
- Landscape Designer: HTA Design
- Ecologist: Greengage
- Engineering: Arup
- Lighting Design: Studio Fractal
- Marine Engineer: Arup
- Consultant: Eden Project
- Consultant: Canal and River Trust
- Planning Authority: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Awards
- Pineapple Awards: Public Place (2025)
- NLA Awards: Public Spaces (2025) and Mayor’s Prize (Highly Commended, 2025)
- Landscape Institute Awards: Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Enhancement (2025)
- UCL CSB (Centre for Sustainable Business) Awards: Partnership Award (Highly Commended, 2025)
- World Architecture Festival: Landscape (Highly Commended, 2025)
- Architects’ Journal Awards: Landscape and Public Realm (Highly Commended, 2025)
- Civic Trust Awards (2026)
Credit: CWG
Commissioned by CWG in partnership with the Eden Project, Eden Dock marks a transformative step in the area’s evolution. It forms part of a wider strategy for the greening of Canary Wharf, bringing a biodiverse and community-centred approach to the public realm.
Situated opposite Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Line Station, the reimagined Grade I-listed, 19th-century dock (formerly known as Middle Dock) is designed to incorporate nature-based solutions (NBS) that enrich biodiversity, improve water quality and contribute to climate resilience.
Eden Dock is now a thriving urban oasis where people can connect with nature and engage with the water’s edge for the first time. Gradual ‘shorelines’ of timber bleachers, amphitheatre steps, walkways and dense planting shape the edges of the dock. Floating boardwalks link a series of garden islands (year-round habitats for pollinators, birds and aquatic life), an education pontoon and terraces for social and cultural use.
Integrating nature
Greengage provided the ecology services for Eden Dock, helping the project team shape the design and inform the planning application. A joint Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) established the site’s baseline value, its potential to support protected and notable species, and the possible impacts of the development. A biodiversity impact assessment predicted a net gain of 1.49 units – a 55.37% uplift in ecological value.
We also produced an Ecological Management Plan (EMP) outlining the specifications for ecological enhancement features and providing guidance for their long-term management, to ensure lasting improvement.
To quantify the development’s ecosystem service benefits, a bespoke Environmental Net Gain (ENG) Matrix was developed, tailored to Eden Dock’s unique aquatic and urban context. It estimated the benefits of proposed nature-based interventions to carbon sequestration, water filtration, flood mitigation, biodiversity enhancement and social value. The matrix showed that features such as floating reedbeds would deliver significant benefits, particularly for biodiversity, water quality and carbon capture. It also showed the development could create considerable social value, providing new nature-filled public spaces for visitors, residents and workers to enjoy.
This evidence-based approach enabled CWG to communicate the multiple benefits of their investment in nature at Eden Dock, setting a benchmark for quantifying NBS in urban waterfront environments.
Transforming Eden Dock
Designed and developed by CWG, Howells, HTA Design and other specialists, the ecological and public-realm interventions at Eden Dock creatively engage the public with the waters’ edge, while enriching the biodiversity of the 325m long waterway.
Ecological and habitat interventions
- Vegetated floating islands planted with native, pollinator-friendly shrubs, herbs and trees to create a ‘floating forest’ effect.
- A 1.5m cantilevered aquatic shelf supporting saline-resistant planting while enhancing safety.
- Submerged habitats for fish and invertebrates, including fish walls, artificial reef elements and kelp-style structures.
- Planting of 70–80 species and 42 new trees, prioritising diverse, resilient vegetation that supports long-term ecological stability.
- Bird and bat boxes integrated throughout the dock to expand nesting and roosting opportunities.
- Underwater cameras and marine monitoring to support biodiversity tracking, research and citizen-science.
Public engagement and education features
- An underwater viewing screen allowing visitors to observe species using the new habitats.
- Interpretive signage explaining ecological features and supporting learning initiatives.
- Platforms and spaces for outdoor education, workshops and community events.
- A safe, open water swimming area with changing facilities.
- Low-level pontoons, 2,500 sqm of walkways, 150m of seating and universal access ramps, ensuring accessibility for all.
- A new north-south footbridge linking local landmarks.
- Natural play elements including sand ‘mini worlds,’ sandboxes and pond-dipping to promote exploration and connection with nature.
Materials and construction approach
- Use of sustainable materials such as recycled steel, FSC timber and low-carbon concrete.
- Floating structures that avoid deep piles, minimising construction impacts.
- Modular pontoons supporting floating gardens, terraces and education spaces.
- Lighting designed to minimise disruption to nocturnal wildlife.
Environmental benefits of Eden Dock
Eden Dock delivers a significant uplift in biodiversity, achieving a 55% net gain supported by 770sqm of floating islands and aquatic shelves that provide year-round habitat for pollinators, birds, fish and invertebrates.
Diverse planting and new trees strengthen long-term ecological resilience, complemented by submerged roots, fish refuges, bird and bat boxes, and low-level lighting that creates a connected, low-disturbance environment for wildlife. These nature-based systems also enhance water quality, sequester carbon and help moderate local temperatures, contributing to a 10% reduction in urban heat island effects and a 100% increase in predicted ecosystem service value. Sustainable materials reduce embodied carbon, while the floating structure limits construction impacts.
Alongside its environmental benefits, Eden Dock enriches the wellbeing of those who visit, live, and work in the area, offering welcoming spaces to gather and enjoy habitats now home to wading birds, waterfowl, songbirds, bees, eels and other species.
Together, the interventions at Eden Dock create a thriving ecological network woven into the public realm, demonstrating how thoughtful design can enrich both the community and environment in dense urban settings.
Testimonials
“Greengage’s input at all stages of the Eden Dock project was invaluable in both shaping the early-stage design to maximise biodiversity enhancements, and scientifically demonstrating the positive impact of the project through their post-occupancy evaluation and measurements.”
Alex Fell, Associate, Howells
