Post date: Jan 11, 2013 12:56:58 AM
Breathtaking views over two thousand years of history from London's latest landmark, the Shard, which is now the tallest building in western Europe.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (RECENT - JANUARY 7-9, 2012) (REUTERS) - London's latest landmark, the Shard building, is preparing to open to the public next month from where it will offer unprecedented views over the capital.
The View From The Shard, offers visitors the chance to gaze over two thousand years of history from a viewing gallery in what is now western Europe's tallest building.The Shard is 309.6 metres (1016 feet) high and the viewing platform on level 72 is almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London.
"Three hundred and sixty degree views of London from a height not seen in Londonbefore, I think they are the best views in the world. Compared to other observations decks in other parts of the world you are looking at a tapestry of history that isn't there in other parts of the world," said Andy Nyberg, Chief Executive of The View From The Shard.
The glass structure is next to London Bridge, near the River Thames and Tower Bridge.
It will be home to offices, a few exclusive apartments, a five star hotel and the hordes of tourists who are expected to flock to see the views over London from the new attraction.
There are not many skyscrapers in London, so architect William Matthews was excited to take on the new project.
"In New York doing a skyscraper is just another tree in the forest. In London there is no forest, so the building instead of being seen in the context of other tall buildings was going to be seen against the sky," he said.
"The tapering form, starting larger at the bottom and tapering to the top, we thought was an elegant form and that also tied in with the mix of uses. Big floor space at the bottom for the offices, smaller ones for the hotel in the middle and then a tiny little viewing plate for the gallery at the very top," he added.
The View From The Shard gives visitors the experience of looking down on London from 244 metres in the sky.
On a clear day you can see 40 miles (64 km) away and peer upon landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral, the City of London, Tower Bridge, the BT Tower, the Tower of Londonand segments of the old Roman city wall.
The Shard is situated in one London's oldest areas, Bankside, and is built on top ofRoman ruins.
Matthews said while New York's skyline is spectacular, Paris 'romantic, he hopes people will view London's as an incredibly tapestry of history.
"London is the oldest modern city in the world, it's got these layers of history going back to the Romans, two thousand years of history. You only have to look out of the window, you can see 10th century Southwark Cathedral, Tower Bridge which is 19th century, all of these various different layers building up, this is just another layer and I think slowly but surely people will start to appreciate how rich London is, not just today, but all its histories," he said.
The building has 306 flights of staircases and 44 lifts. It contains the highest residence in Europe.
Eleven thousand glass panels were used to build the Shard, constructed over an area equivalent to 8 football pitches.
Cleaning the glass is a mammoth job and it takes teams of window cleaners, using 14 specially constructed cradles 18 days to complete the work.
It's not yet know how often the windows will need to be cleaned, but architects believe every few weeks.
The View From The Shard opens to the public on February 1, with tickets costing between 25 and 30 pounds, and 100 pounds for those who want to jump the queue and go up at a time of their choosing.
London's never been known for its good weather, so if visibility is so poor due to fog and clouds, tickets will be reissued for another time.
Moscow's Mercury City is Europe's tallest building, standing at 338 metres (1109 feet).
The Eiffel Tower is about around 10 metres taller than the Shard, at 320 metres (1050 feet, but it is not a habitable building, so is not in the same category.
But Europe's tall structures can't compete with those in America, Asia and the Middle East. The world's tallest building is currently in Dubai - the Burj Khalifa is almost three times the height of the Shard, standing at 828 metres (2,717 feet).