On Thursday I experienced 'The View from The Shard' in London.
It was fabulous!
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| The View ftom The Shard |
The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, is a 72-storey skyscraper
with spectacular panoramic views over the city.
Its construction began in March 2009 and it opened to the public on 1 February 2013.
Its construction began in March 2009 and it opened to the public on 1 February 2013.
Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the European Union.
Renzo Piano - the project's architect - met criticism from English Heritage, who claimed the building would be "a shard of glass through the heart of historic London", giving the building its name, the Shard.
He considered the slender, spire-like form of the tower a positive addition to the London skyline, recalling the church steeples featured in historic engravings of the city, and believed that its presence would be far more delicate than opponents of the project alleged.
He proposed a sophisticated use of glazing, with expressive façades of angled glass panes intended to reflect sunlight and the sky above, so that the appearance of the building will change according to the weather and seasons.
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| View of The Shard |
The building features 11,000 panes of glass, with a total surface area of 56,000 square metres (600,000 sq ft).
The Shard contains premium office space, a hotel, luxury residences, retail space, restaurants, a five-story public viewing gallery, and a spa. The public viewing gallery is located between the 68th and 72nd floors, with its highest section at a height of 245 metres (804 ft).
It is expected to draw over two million visitors a year. I am so glad to have been able to be one of them !
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| The Shard |
Thanks for the photos. I wondered what the view would be like. Hubby wants to go up this when he can find the time.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!
ReplyDelete