Already looming over the London skyline, the Shard, next to London Bridge station will be 310 metres high when it is completed later this year, making it the tallest free-standing structure in Europe. All is not quite as it seems however because there’s a bit of a cheat involved (which is perpetrated by all other skyscrapers the world over). Because the building narrows sharply from its base, the footprint becomes too small to be usable above a certain height – thus the final 12 floors are part of what is euphemistically called ‘the spire’ with the accessible floors ending 3 levels below this structure at 72, where the 5-floor observation deck ends.
The Shard was designed by architect Renzo Piano and has a very futuristic look. like a shiny needle pointing up at the sky. I do rather like it, even in its incomplete state, although from a distance I have to admit that it does look oddly out of place at the moment. The nearest cluster of tall buildings are quite a distance down the river in the City of London so it definitely sits apart, although I imagine Londoners found the Natwest Tower and One Canada Place equally unfamiliar when they were constructed. I guess that after a while we’ll all just get used to seeing it standing over Southwark…
You can check out the Shard’s own website for information on its construction and further details of London Bridge Quarter, the cluster of smaller buildings that are going up around it. The Shard is also on Twitter, but don’t be scared – it’s following me and I’ve yet to open my bedroom curtains in the morning to find it looming outside…
Finally, you can see the other pictures I’ve taken here.
February 4, 2012
London Sights