The Shard
Enigmatic skyscraper in London designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and the British developer Irvine Sellar. Crystalline facade, tallest building in Western Europe (currently under construction).
The triangular tower which is located in a busy area of London - London Bridge Quarter (address: 32 London Bridge, Southwark ) – has an impressive height of 310 meters. The construction plan for the c. £450-million project was signed in February 2009 and in July 2012 (5.7) the glass tower will then be formally opened in a ceremony by the Prime Minister of Qatar and by the Duke of York, Prince Andrew. The vision of the 74-year old Piano was to build a “vertical city in the sky” and with the Shard - also known under the terms “Shard of Glass” (because its glass wedge silhouette), “Shard London Bridge” or “London Bridge Tower” – this came true. The 72 floors and 900,000 square feet of the building offer a mix of restaurants, offices (on floors 4 to 31), a luxury hotel (Europe’s first 5-star Shangri-La Hotel, on floors 73 to 51), 114 exclusive residential apartments (on floors 52 to 64) and London’s highest public viewing gallery offering 360° views. The 72-year old Sellar, who believes the building will change London for centuries, explains proudly: “From here you can look out on more than thousand years of history.” Already in 2012 the height of the Shard of Glass will be surpassed by Moscow’s 332-metre Mercury City Tower, but nevertheless the gigantic skyscraper will be one of the capital’s most impressive and dynamic buildings – a great and spectacular postmodern architectural achievement.
References:
Powell, Kenneth: New London Architecture. London: Merrell Publishers, 2003
Powell, Kenneth: 21-Century London: The New Architecture. London: Merrell Publishers, 2011
http:.//www.e-architect.co.uk/london/the_shard_london.htm
http://www.emporis.com/buildings/the-shard-london-united-kingdom