The tower was designed by Sir Norman Foster's team of architects. Construction began in 1997 and was completed in 2002. There are 42 floors in the 655 foot tall tower, the second largest in the United Kingdom. Standing alongside the HSBC Tower are 1 Canada Square (known popularly as Canary Wharf); and the Citigroup Centre, which forms the British head office of the multinational US bank, Citigroup. The tower is not open to the public.
The nearest tube station is Canary Wharf, serving the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway. A bus service runs to London City Airport. A small shopping mall is at the base of the development.