The Shard

The Shard stands on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, London. It is a pyramid-shaped skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano, the Italian architect. The building replaced an office block called Southwark Towers, built in the 1970s. Construction began in 2009 and finished in 2012. The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the seventh-tallest in Europe. The tower was planned after a government report encouraged tall buildings at transport hubs. Renzo Piano sketched the design on a restaurant menu during a meeting with entrepreneur Irvine Sellar. The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott approved the plan in 2003 after a public inquiry. Funding came from Qatari investors, who later became majority owners. The Shard won the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2014. Visitors take a lift to the 72nd floor, where an open-air observation deck offers views 244 metres above the city. The glass-clad tower has 11,000 panes that reflect the sky and weather. The building’s tapering shape and load-bearing pillars give it stability. From the top, the River Thames and London’s skyline stretch in every direction. The Shard’s changing appearance makes it a landmark seen from far across the city.