Londoners have recently enjoyed a dazzling sound and light show over the London night sky that marked the Shard Skyscraper’ grand opening ceremony. Visible from several miles away, lasers celebrate the completion of the incredible 95-storey glass-and-steel structure who became the tallest building in Europe in this moment.
The irregular pyramid-shaped skyscraper clad entirely in glass was opened by Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister, whose country funded the $708-million building, and Prince Andrew, the Queen’s son. Called by the London Mayor “a quite astonishing piece of architecture”, the Shard tower is 309,6 meters (1016ft high) which means is half-a-kilometre shorter than Dubai’s 828-metre Burj Khalifa and almost 300m shorter than Tokyo SkyTree.
Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the exceptional new building was completed after three years and will surely become a true landmark in United Kingdom and in Europe too. Its futuristic silhouette stands out for 11,000 glass panels covering the area of eight football pitches. It features 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck ( the UK’s highest) – on the 72nd floor, at a height of 245 metres (804 ft) offering 360-degree panoramas of the city. The Shard skyscraper includes apartments, offices, restaurants and a luxurious five-star hotel, making them the highest residential properties in Britain for 12,000 people. Enjoy some amazing photos and don’t forget to share with us your opinion.
Project details:
Architect: Renzo Piano
Location: London, Southwark
Height: 1,012 feet (308 m)
Opened: June 2012
Construction started: 2003
Owners: QInvest, Qatari Islamic Bank, Barwa Real Estate, QNB Group