The Shard is a 95 storey skyscraper in Southwark, London. standing at 309.6 meters high, the Shard is also the tallest construction in the United Kingdom, the 4th tallest building in Europe as well as the 105th tallest building on Earth.
Renzo Piano, the project’s architect, made the Shard as a spire like sculpture appearing from the River Thames. The shard was styled in Neo Futurism. The Shard was conceived as a construction with several uses: a vertical city where individuals could live, work and unwind. The Shard’s construction started in March 2009 and finished on 30th of March 2012, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1st of February 2013.
The building had been inaugurated on 5 July 2012 by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, in a service attended from Prince Andrew, Duke of York. The length of wiring in the construction, 320 kilometres, would extend from London to Paris. Its 11, 000 glass panels have an entire area of 56, 000 sq meters, which equals eight football pitches. The Shard’s energy efficiency is fostered due to triple the glass, with a layer of sun protecting glass contrasts between the interior and outer sheets. The glass clad pyramidal tower includes 72 habitable baths.
The shard has 25 office floors, 3 baths of restaurants, a 17 story hotel, 13 The Bath House Apartments and a triple height viewing gallery, in addition to an open air screening floor on level 72. The approximate price of every one of the ten flats between the 53rd and 65th baths is from 30 to 50 million. The Shangri-La hotel’s swimming pool is situated at the 52nd floor, It’s Europe’s highest swimming pool. the View in also the Shard offers visitors unobstructed 360 degree, 65 kilometres views across the London sky line and beyond.
The name The Shard is derived in the architect’s description of the development as a Shard of glass during planning stages. The Shard is common property of The State of Qatar as well as Seller Property Group. The shard can be spotted from 65 km away, from the South Downs into the Thames Estuary. The Shard is maintained shiny from a team of six abseiling window cleaners.
In the year 2014, the Shard won first place at the Emporis Skyscraper Awards, The Emporis judges hailed the construction as a skyscraper that is recognised immediately and considered as London’s new emblem. A fox has been found on the 72nd floor at the end of construction. On 3 Sept 2012, a team of 40 people, including Prince Andrew, Duke of York, abseiled in the tower’s 87th floor.
Telephone: 0844 499 7111 | Official Website | [email protected]
How to get there
- By Bus: You can find a bus station outside the main entrance to the London Bridge Station, Bus services: 43, 48, 141, 149 and 521 all stop by the shard
- By Train: The London Bridge Underground Station is only a couple of minutes walk from the shard and the London Bridge Station.
- By Car: the shard has no parking or drop off facilities, you can find car parks all around London, for more parking information visit: en.parkopedia.co.uk
View from The Shard – Admission
| Ticket Type | Price |
| Adult ticket | £30.95 per ticket |
| Child ticket | £24.95 per ticket |
you can purchase the tickets from the shard official website: More Information
Opening Hours
April – October
Sunday to Thursday | Open 10:00 AM -10:00 PM | last entry 8:30 PM
Friday to Saturday | Open 10:00 AM -11:00 PM | last entry 9:30 PM
November – March
Open 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Sunday – Wednesday – last entry 5:30 PM
Open 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Thursday – Saturday
Early Closures:
10th May 2017: Last entry 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM – Viewing Gallery to be cleared before 5:15 PM
Information was gathered from the shard official website
Location
The Shard
32 London Bridge Street
London
SE1 9SG
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