Canary Wharf was built on the old West India Docks in the Isle of Dogs. With the advent of major container ships in the 1960s, the docks, which were suitable only for smaller vessels, had steadily declined and by 1980 had closed entirely. The area has been reinvented as a major London business district, with banks such has HSBC and Barclays having their worldwide headquarters here. The skyline has become increasingly dramatic, and is set to change further over the coming years, with development continuing eastwards on the Canary Wharf Estate.
Also visible within the panorama is the Emirates Air Line – the cable cars across the Thames, above the O2, and in the distance, the City of London – the traditional heart of financial London.