The Shard

The Shard, formerly known as the London Bridge Tower or alternatively Shard of Glass is the highest building in the United Kingdom standing. It is 309 m high (1,016 ft). This 95 storey skyscraper based in Southwark London is a part of London Bridge Quarter development and a definite must go while visiting British capital.

The Shard – history

This magnificent neo-futuristic building was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano who stated: „This is my vision: I foresee the tower as a vertical city, for thousands of people to work in and enjoy, and for millions to take to their heart.” This Landmark replaced previous Southwark Towers. Construction works started in March 2009 and were completed with inauguration on the 6^th July 2012, although the most important part, which is the observation deck, was available for public view on the 1^st February 2013.

What’s inside?

The View from The Shard is a pyramidal glassed tower with 72 floors. Between levels 68-72 there’s a viewing gallery and a breathtaking observation deck that gives you an opportunity to admire London’s panorama, as beautiful in the morning as moving and inspiring in the late evening.

This venue has its own residential area just beneath the observation deck and if you’re looking for a place to rest, Shangri-La Hotel will gladly accommodate you. Just imagine your view from your 52^nd floor apartment on the City of London at night.

There are also three restaurants which will probably fulfil even the most demanding tastes- Huton, Oblix and Aqua Shard. All the necessary booking information is available at:
https://www.the-shard.com/contact/

The most interesting facts according to Connect-Click:

• The Shard is also an abode to Warwick Business School and Foresight, HCA Healthcare at the Shard Clinic and many various commercial offices.
• There was an incident with a group of Place Hackers. Few men were able to trick and evade security. To cut the long story short, they took pictures from one of the tallest cranes and posted them online. That bold move gave them a lot of attention.
• The Shard appears in “Doctor Who” in the episode “The Bells of Saint John” as the Great Intelligence’s headquarters.
• Essex BASE jumper Dan Witchalls made a dozen of jumps from The Shard between 2009 and 2012. The highest one was reportedly from the height of 260 m (850 ft).

Address: 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG