Skyscraper Shard in London (UK) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
- Hot tours to the UK
Previous photo Next photo
The newest architectural landmark of the British capital - the Shard skyscraper - was erected just in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. The tall glass pyramid immediately firmly established itself in the top ten most popular London attractions, largely due to the observation deck, which occupies floors 68 to 72. On the observation deck, guests rise (or rather, take off) on a high-speed elevator in just half a minute.
The name of the skyscraper The Shard in English means "shard of glass" and is 100% combined with its appearance.
The name of the skyscraper The Shard in English means "shard of glass" and is 100% combined with its appearance. Thousands of glass panels that line the skyscraper shine in the sun, drawing the eye. Inside the skyscraper are offices, apartments, front gardens and even a hotel.
Figures and facts
Building height - 309 m
Number of floors: 72
At the time of completion, the Shard skyscraper became the tallest building in the European Union.
Address: SE1 9SP, London, Southwark, London Bridge Street, 32.
Opening hours: Sunday - Wednesday: 10:00 - 19:00 (entry until 17:30 - 18:00), Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 - 22:00 (entry until 20:30 - 21:00).
Entrance: 30.95 GBP, children (4-15 years old): 24.95 GBP, children under 3 years old: free. Children under 15 must be strictly accompanied by an adult.
Prices on the page are for November 2018.
Published: October 26, 2013 at 10:48 amSince 2012, the title of the tallest building in Western Europe wears a skyscraper The Shard built in the center of London south coast Thames.
Translated from English, Shard literally means "shard".
The name of the skyscraper, built with the money of Qatari oil magnates, was due to its original architecture, or rather, a thousand glass tiles sparkling in the meager English sun, with which it is lined.
The piano is world famous, above all, for having created Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, the headquarters of the New York Times, as well as several other notable buildings with very controversial architecture.
On the topic of how the Shard skyscraper fit into the Victorian landscape of the south coast of London and how appropriate its neighborhood in the London panorama with Tower Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral, many critical and even harsh articles have been written in the British press.
However, The Shard has become a given, an indisputable fact, over 300 meters high, perched on the south bank of the Thames, a mere hundred feet from the water.
What is The Shard?
Total in the building 87 floors, which are served by ultra-high-speed elevators that reach speeds of up to 6 meters per second.
On the first and second floors of the Shard skyscraper there are shops, a ticket office for the observation deck, a reception, as well as a passage to the London Bridge tube station.
Floors from 3rd to 28th, occupies the office center. On the 31st, 32nd and 33rd floors are luxury restaurants: Hutong, Oblix and Aqua Shard.
It is better to book places here in advance, and then you are guaranteed a great dinner with breathtaking views of London. On floors 34 to 52 there is a five-star hotel Shangri La. I could not find an answer to the question of how much a room in this hotel costs.
Obviously everything is very exclusive. From the 53rd to the 65th floor, private apartments and apartments are located on the Shard. None of them was put up for free sale, and according to the Daily Mail, several Arab sheikhs are their owners.
The most interesting for tourists starts from the 68th floor. This is where access is open to everyone. For a fee of £30, you can go up to the observation deck using the super high-speed elevator.
At the top you can see the Shard History Museum and enjoy the unique panoramas of London.
Special interactive telescopes are also installed here, which in several languages can tell about everything that is visible from the skyscraper.
You can literally see the whole city from here. In clear weather, you can even see the coast of the North Sea.
The Tower Bridge, Big Ben and, in fact, the Thames itself, winding among the embankments and magnificent bridges, look especially impressive from The Shard.
Remarkably, the Shard London Bridge was not built at all by the city authorities of London (as, in fact, the London Eye).
The skyscraper was built according to the plan of the architect Renzo Piano with almost the full financial support of Qatar (and this, for a second, is more than 435 million pounds).
The British government only approved this project and washed its hands of it.
And so, starting in 2009, on the site of the Southwark Towers office complex (it had to be demolished), work began on the construction of the tallest building in London. A real pyramid made of concrete and thousands of glasses.
There was also a public outcry, as zealous defenders of the architecture and appearance of London as a whole complained that this hulk would simply ruin all the raspberries. They knocked on the doors of UNESCO, calling on the latter to common sense.
However, all attempts to disrupt the construction came to nothing. The authors of the project assured that The Shard will perfectly fit into the architecture of London and bring incredible benefits to the city!
You know, having been in this building. Having visited several districts next to a dozen other buildings in the city, as well as visiting almost all the most famous sights of London, I can say with confidence that the capital of Great Britain, among other things, is very impressive precisely because it has been preserved here as a strict aristocratic (royal) English style, and modernity is rapidly developing.
This contrast is incredibly captivating. It's not something in Rome , where literally everything breathes antiquity (or rather, the historical era). And there are not just tall buildings, much less skyscrapers.
Everything is different here. In London, they honor the old classical aristocracy (in many areas you can see old cute identical houses on two or three floors), but do not forget to keep up with the times, erecting beautiful high-rise modern buildings.
The view from the Shard - fantastic views of London
Well, yes, I digress a little. I go directly to the observation platform, practically on the very top of the Shard, from which a fantastic view of the city opens up.
I'm telling. There are two elevators leading to this site. First, you are lifted to the middle of the path on one. Then, they transfer to another elevator, which takes you to the 68th floor.
Well, and then you overcome four more floors on foot.
Yes, yes, The view from the Shard takes up 4 levels! Moreover, the 72nd floor is open, so in autumn and winter it can be especially cool here.
But the views from here open ... dear mother!
And when the evening comes and the lights are lit in the houses - the spectacle becomes simply mesmerizing!
And you stand in silent silence, admiring the splendor woven under your feet
Holding your breath and catching the thought that this is HEALTHY!
Well, when London wraps up the night, it's time to order champagne with caviar at the bar in order to feel the grandeur and beauty even more.
What else is in The Shard
Hotel. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't there. It is located from 34 to 52 floors.
There are several restaurants in Shard located on floors 31-33. These are the British Mediterranean restaurant Aqua Shard, the Oblix restaurant, and the Hutong Chinese Restaurant.
There is a gift shop on the 68th floor of Shard. And even the Sky pool.
Impressions and conclusions from the visit TheShard(shard) in London
I summarize. We really liked The Shard London Bridge. In terms of entertainment, it is much cooler than the London Eye (London Eye) and the Walkie-Talkie skyscraper with the Sky Garden observation deck, because. the main observation deck in the "Shard" is located much higher than its counterparts - on the 72nd floor.
This is the height at which helicopters and airplanes fly.
But, nevertheless, in terms of comfort and cost, the Shard is significantly inferior to the same Sky Garden.
Judge for yourself. Here you pay about 30 pounds and are just in a glass terrarium, even with a bar.
And you can come to Sky Garden absolutely free of charge. You can sit on soft sofas, at the bar, enjoying excellent coffee, delicious food, and, of course, enchanting panoramic views of London.
The atmosphere in the Sky Garden is much nicer. And the place itself is much larger than the observation deck in The Shard.
If you have a small budget for a trip to London, feel free to go to Sky Garden and get a lot of fun.
If you have money, be sure to visit Sky Garden, and then look at The Shard. You can compare these two amazing places and have even more fun.
Well, if you have, frankly, dofiga money, then you can visit Sky Garden, Shard, and the London Eye (although the London Eye, as for me, is the most useless attraction in London).
Here are the things.
Additional Information
Working hours: daily from 10:00 to 22:00.
How to get toTheShard(shard) in London
The nearest tube station is London Bridge.
But you can also take a bus. Both on BIG BUS TOURS, and on regular flights (43, 48, 141, 149, 521).
Be sure to use the Oyster Card to pay for your trips (valid in London for all types of public transport).
The entrance is on Joiner Street, off St Thomas' Street.
How much is the ticket to the towerTheShard(shard) in London
At the time of this writing, the ticket costs £29.86 per person.
How to get to the observation deckTheShardfor free
I share a tip. Several times a month, various major sponsors arrange promotions on the tower. And then the entrance to The Shard for any person is absolutely free. We just heard on the radio about such an event (conducted by the Corona company) and hurried to visit the observation deck of the skyscraper. They also drank beer on the ball.
And finally, a short video review of our visit TheShard(shard) in London
Since the time of Babylon, people have been rushing up, trying to conquer the heavens. Starting construction in 2009, the new skyscraper soared to 306 meters and since 2013 has been delighting guests of London with a new one.
This is quite a popular place, because everyone should see London from a height, and The Shard offers simply amazing panoramas. "The Shard" is a huge glass pyramidal office building (from 2 to 28 floors) with apartments (from 53 to 65 floors), Shangri-La hotel (from 34 to 52 floors), restaurants (from 31 to 33 floors) and an observation a platform that occupies as many as 4 levels - from 68 to 72.
The skyscraper with the beautiful name The Shard of London is the tallest building in London. It was built in 2012 on the site of the Southwark Towers office building, which was demolished in 2008.
The project for a new skyscraper was proposed by the architect Piano back in 200, but it caused a heated public discussion. Therefore, he was able to approve only a few years later, when the city authorities came to the conclusion that Shard would bring more benefit to the city than harm.
The shard of london observation deck
350 million pounds were allocated for the construction of the Shard, but then the amount was increased to 435 million. The construction of The Shard of London lasted 4 years. The project has been halted several times due to bad weather.
Lined with thousands of glass panels, this 309-meter skyscraper shines in the sun and is visible from afar. Since its construction, Shard has been in trouble more than once: once it was struck by lightning, and a few days later a fire broke out on the lower floors of the building.
People like the new attraction even more than "". It is said that at this rate of visitation, the Shard will pay for itself in less than 10 years.
Some interesting facts about The Shard
Hotel in The Shard of London
Also on this site you can purchase a visit to the Shard and other attractions.
How to get to The Shard?
Getting to the famous skyscraper is very easy. It is difficult to get lost, because The Shard can be seen from almost anywhere in London, at least Central.
nearest metro: London Bridge
Railway stations: London Bridge Main
Buses: 43, 48, 141, 149, 521
Entrance - from the street joiner street
Hotels near The Shard
The area where the Shard skyscraper is located is very convenient for stopping, because from here it is quite easy to get to all the main attractions.
And so, in London, the tallest building in Europe officially opened with a solemn ceremony and a laser show.
Over the 12 years that the project has been underway, the construction of The Shard skyscraper (“Shard”) has been in jeopardy several times due to public discontent and lack of funding. As a result, a steel tower 309.6 meters high, lined with 11,000 glass panels, was built at the expense of Qatari investors who are actively acquiring real estate in the British capital. At the same time, The Shard may lose its honorary "high-rise" title in the near future.
The history of The Shard began in 2000, when the Italian architect Renzo Piano designed the future champion. At the same time, entrepreneur Irwin Sellar decided to renovate the morally and technically obsolete 25-storey Southwark Towers business building complex, built in 1975 near the London Bridge over the Thames (Southwark area). Having met for lunch in Berlin, Sellar and Piano agreed to erect a new skyscraper on this very site (originally The Shard was called London Bridge Tower, and then The Shard of Glass, "Shard of Glass").
Plans for the construction of a skyscraper Londoners perceived ambiguously. In particular, the project was opposed by the administration of Southwark and several large public organizations, who argued that such a tall building would spoil the panorama of the city and overshadow the historical sights. In general, residents of the British capital quite often express dissatisfaction with new skyscrapers, but they do not always succeed in canceling the implementation of projects. The most striking examples of this are the 30 St Mary Ax, nicknamed the "cucumber" by the townspeople, and the Strata SE1, known as the "electric razor" and. It was not possible to cancel the construction of The Shard either - it took some time to coordinate the construction, but at the end of 2003 the project was approved by the authorities.
However, what the Londoners did not cope with, almost came out of the global financial crisis. At the end of 2007, when the developers of the project (CLS Holdings, Sellar Property Group and Halabi Family Trust) were already preparing for the demolition of Southwark Towers, unrest began in the financial markets and a number of project participants decided not to invest in expensive construction. The project, then estimated at £350 million, was on the brink of cancellation. It was then that a powerful group of investors from Qatar came to the rescue, including, among others, the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani and the head of the National Bank, Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani. In January 2008, a Qatari consortium bought 80 percent of the project for £150 million and later increased its stake to 95 percent.
By the beginning of 2009, the dismantling of the old business center was completed, and the active stage of construction of The Shard began. In four years, the builders erected a 95-story tower 309.6 meters high (23 floors are technical). At the same time, in the course of work, the volume of investments in the project increased to 450 million pounds.
The building fully justifies its name - it is made in the form of an irregular pyramid and is covered with 11 thousand glass panels from the outside. Almost all of the materials used in the construction were reported to be recycled products. The Shard will house office and retail space, a five-star Shangri-La hotel with 200 rooms, restaurants and a dozen apartments, each of which costs up to $80 million. One of 44 elevators takes you to floors 68-72, home to the UK's highest public observation deck. It should be noted that only the outer appearance of the skyscraper has been completed, while the interior decoration will continue until 2013. Since the project was financed by Qatari businessmen, a number of "Islamic" restrictions will be placed on The Shard's tenants. For example, companies associated with the gambling or alcohol industry will not be able to place their office in the tower.
Meanwhile, the discussion around The Shard, especially after the arrival of Qatari capital, is only heating up. At the same time, dissatisfaction is caused not only by the spoiled, according to some, “postcard” view of the capital. So, even Londoners accustomed to high prices were surprised by the cost of tickets to the observation deck of the skyscraper, which will open in February 2013. To climb it, adult visitors will have to fork out about £25 and pay another £19 for each child.
Not everyone was satisfied with the grand opening ceremony of the building, which, in addition to the leaders of Qatar, was attended by many British politicians and the son of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew. After dark, a laser show began - beams of different colors illuminated the Shard itself and connected it with other London high-rise buildings and attractions. The "soundtrack" of the event was classical works performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The ceremony also divided the Londoners - some considered it unreasonably large and costly, while others, on the contrary, were deceived in their expectations and did not see anything unusual.
Annoys ordinary Britons and the very fact of Qatari expansion into the real estate market in London. Businessmen from the emirate own not only many modern town-planning dominants of the city, like The Shard, but also iconic historical objects. For example, back in 2010, Qatar Holding, which also participated in the financing of Shard, bought the Harrods retail chain, which owns the famous department store of the same name, from the Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed.
Almost immediately, the new owners unveiled plans to build a luxury hotel store on the roof. The implementation of this idea, however, was not reported, but in early July 2012 it became known that the Harrods network would no longer be exclusively trading. Under a well-known brand, it is planned to open hotels around the world, in particular, in Malaysia, the USA, France and China.
sketch by Renzo Piano
Despite all the ups and downs, The Shard managed to get the title of the tallest building in Europe, taking it away from the Moscow Tower of the City of Capitals complex in Moscow City, 302 meters high (buildings like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, 324 meters high, or the British TV towers Emley Moor, 330 meters, are traditionally not taken into account in such ratings). Another thing is that he will not be able to keep this title for a long time. The main competitors are the Moscow 332-meter skyscraper "Mercury City Tower" (in March of this year, the builders passed the mark of 310.8 meters, but the building has not yet been completed), the Moscow 360-meter tower "Vostok" of the Federation complex (with spire - 509 meters) and the 320-meter multifunctional complex Hermitage Plaza in the business district of Paris La Defense, the construction of which will be carried out by the company of Russian businessman Emin Iskenderov. The first facility is expected to be put into operation in 2013, the second - in 2014, the third - by 2017.
