The two lions outside the building's entrance are exact copies of the two sculptures by W.W. Wagstaff which were commissioned in 1935 for the Hong Kong office of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC).
For many years a similar pair of lions stood outside the bank's Shanghai office and were modelled in 1923 by the sculptor Henry Poole.
8 Canada Square is the world headquarters of HSBC, one of the world's largest banks.
8 Canada Square accommodates approximately 8,000 workers.
The tower was built on reclaimed land, in an area of London that used to be home to the world's largest docks.
In 2004, a 6 metre long panel of glass came loose from the top of the tower and fell 200 metres, narrowly missing a security guard patrolling the base.
Upon completion, 8 Canada Square was the UK's joint 2nd tallest building alongside 25 Canada Square.
8 Canada Square was the first London skyscraper completed by British architect Sir Norman Foster.
The lobby features a large art installation known as the 'history wall', which depicts the history of the HSBC company through an interactive display.
In April 2007, 8 Canada Square became Britain's first building to be sold for more than £1 billion.
The building has a BREEAM rating of 'excellent'.
On May 21 2000, three building workers were killed when a Wolff 320 BF tower crane collapsed during construction of the tower.