Canary Wharf continued to grow during the 2000s, establishing itself as London’s major business centre

The 656ft HSBC tower, otherwise known as 8 Canada Square, was completed in 2002.

The Swiss Re tower, aka the Gherkin, was completed in December 2003. The building was designed by Lord Foster and Ken Shuttleworth, together with Arup, and was constructed by Skanska.

City Hall, another Foster-designed building, was completed in 2002. Not that its occupants have been particularly pleased with it: Ken Livingstone called it a “glass testicle” while current mayor Boris Johnson referred to it as a “glass gonad”.

Review of the Decade 2000-2009