Tributes to Paul Reichmann, founding father of Canary Wharf

1st November 2013

Paul Reichmann, co-founder of Olympia & York, the developer behind the transformation of a derelict area of East London into one of the world’s busiest and most prestigious business districts, has passed away at the age of 83.

Sir George Iacobescu CBE, chairman and chief executive of Canary Wharf Group, described him as a “visionary” with “an ability to see potential value in places where other developers could not”. Born in Vienna in 1930, his family fled the Nazi occupation and settled in Canada. Mr Reichmann worked on high-profile developments such as the World Financial Center in New York and First Canadian Place in Toronto; but it is the rejuvenation of London’s Docklands for which he will be remembered.

Reuters   The Independent   The Wharf