The Shard

Shard London Bridge
File:Shard London Bridge.jpg
General information
Location	32 London Bridge Street
Height
Antenna spire	305.78 metres (1,016 feet)
Roof	305.78 metres (1,016 feet)
Technical details
Floor area	111,400 m²
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Renzo Piano
Developer	Sellar Property Group

The Shard London Bridge, also known as London Bridge Tower, the Shard of Glass and 32 London Bridge is a supertall skyscraper approved for construction in London.

Design and planning

Initial proposals were drawn up by Broadway Malyan, but towards the end of 2000 the Italian architect Renzo Piano was brought in to rethink the scheme. It would replace Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office building which was completed in 1976. The tower would stand 310 metres (1,016 feet) tall and have 72 floors, plus further radiator floors in the roof, making it the tallest building in the country. After a lengthy public inquiry, it was granted full planning permission in November 2003.

When it was first announced, it was hoped that it would be the tallest building in Europe on completion, surpassing the Eiffel Tower, which at 300 metres has been the tallest building in Europe since 1889. Another skyscraper, the Bishopsgate Tower, was submitted for planning permission in London and was originally proposed to exceed the height by one metre. However, the scheduled height of the Bishopsgate Tower has now been reduced, so Shard London Bridge could once again become London's tallest occupied building if construction goes ahead. By way of comparison, Britain's tallest free-standing structure is the Emley Moor tower at 330.4 metres, and the tallest man-made structure of any kind in Britain (and the EU) is the Belmont mast at 385 metres.

Piano, the project's architect, has compared his design to "a shard of glass" - he considers the slender, spire-like form of the tower a positive addition to the London skyline and believes that its presence will be far more delicate than opponents of the scheme allege. He proposes a sophisticated use of glazing, with expressive facades of angled panes intended to reflect light and the changing patterns of the sky, so that the form of the building will change according to the weather and seasons.

In addition to the tower, there would also be major improvements to the concourse and facilities of London Bridge station. These would include shops, offices and flats as well as a museum and a public piazza. A hotel, to be operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts as their first European location, would be expected to take up around a fifth of the available space. A large pre-let for office space in the tower has been agreed in principle by Transport for London.

Another notable feature of the building would be a public viewing gallery at the top. This would be expected to draw over 2 million visitors a year, around the same number who visit the London Eye.

In addition, a shorter building known as London Bridge Place will be built nearby. This will replace the current London Bridge House and the combined sites will create what will be known as The London Bridge Quarter.

Construction

Work was expected to begin in 2005. However, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the company who held a long-term lease on Southwark Towers, were not willing to vacate for some time and remained in the building until August 2007. As of early September 2007, preparations for the demolition of Southwark Towers had begun, but later in the month, turbulence in the financial markets was reported to have put the construction phase of the project into jeopardy.

In late September 2007, it was reported that the Halabi Family Trust (one of the main backers of the project along with CLS and Sellar Property Group) was going to be forced to sell its stake .

In November 2007, building contractor Mace won the deal to build the Shard at a fixed price of at least £350m. The deal was driven by the breakdown in relationships between the Halibi Trust and their partners.

In January 2008 it was announced that a consortium of Qatari investors have paid £75m to secure an 80% stake and take control of the project. The new owners have promised to provide the first tranche of finance, meaning construction of the tower can now begin. The consortium includes QInvest, Qatar National Bank, Quatari Islamic Bank and the developer Barwa Real Estate. The deal involves a buyout of the Halabi and CLS stakes, and part of the Sellar Property stake.

The London Bridge Business Improvement District (BID) Company have established a construction support group to help and advise London Bridge based businesses during the construction of the Shard London Bridge and other buildings, including 7 More London. [1]

See also

• 30 St Mary Axe
• Beetham Tower
• Southwark
• Tall buildings in London
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain

References

• Powell, Kenneth; "New London Architecture", (2001, Hugh Merell, London), pp. 218–219.

External links

• Official website
• Discussions on the tower, with regular news updates
• Skyscrapernews.com page on the London Bridge Tower
• 'Shard of glass' set to join London skyline (The Guardian, 19 November 2003)
• London Bridge Tower Design concept of the Shard London Bridge Tower.
• Official page on the Shangri-La website, the hotel tenants
• Public comments on the tower
• Article describing the demolition and the tower's construction (Building.co.uk, 7 September 2007)
• The London Bridge BID Company
• WSP Group's dedicated page. WSP Group provides structural engineering services to the Shard of Glass project.

51°30′17″N 0°05′12″W