Travel Guide of The Shard in United Kingdom by Influencers and Travelers

The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 95-storey supertall skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of the Shard Quarter development.

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Learn More about The Shard

Irvine Seller, the Shard's developer and co-owner, envisioned an audacious vision to create an architecturally striking vertical city that would incorporate retail, offices, a hotel, flats, restaurants and a public viewing gallery. His idea was to create a diverse and vibrant community, offering multiple areas where the public could experience the buildings and their spectacular views. And all of this is located in one of London's main transport hubs. Sellers acquired Southwark Towers as an investment in November 1998, when it was occupied by PwC. Later, when the UK government began to encourage high-density development close to transport hubs, Seller was inspired to plan a world-class building that would capture the public's imagination. In Berlin, he had lunch with the award-winning architect Renzo Piano, whose initial reaction, says Serra, was not optimistic. Renzo said: "I don't like tall buildings. I don't like tall buildings. They are arrogant, aggressive and fortress-like. Renzo said: 'I hate tall buildings. They are arrogant, aggressive and fortress-like. But I was attracted by the energy of the railway and the beauty of the Thames. So Renzo turned over the menu and began to sketch. What he drew in an instant bears a striking resemblance to the Shard today". After looking at the sketch, Sellar said to Piano: "If you sign this and sign the contract, we will build The Shard". Piano wrote: "From Renzo to Irvine, Berlin, May 2000" and The Shard's journey began. The project then went through a lengthy planning process and a high-profile public enquiry, followed by many difficult years, but the global economic crisis meant that investment ceased. However, in 2008, the future of The Shard was secured with the addition of the State of Qatar as a partner, who shared the vision of the cellar. The construction period was both exhilarating and testing. Sub-zero temperatures, high winds and the River Thames breaking through the dam were just some of the challenges. The top-down construction method, in which the core is built while the foundations are being dug, is the first of its kind in the U.K. Over the course of 36 hours, using 700 lorries at a rate of one every three minutes, the team poured 5,400 cubic metres of concrete. Years of hard work and ingenuity paid off in 2012 when The Shard was completed and officially opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar. Since then, the restaurant, hotel and observatory have been opened to the public and the offices have begun to be occupied.

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