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London's Tallest Building Officially Unveiled
The tallest skyscraper in the EU is
to officially be unveiled
central London.
The Shard, a gleaming feat of glass and gravity-defying engineering, stands
309.6 metres, dominating the city’s skyline and towering
existing landmarks such as 30 St Mary Axe - "the Gherkin" - and One Canada Square.
Rising
the depths of the economic downturn, thanks
an almighty investment from Qatar, the skyscraper
been £1.5bn and 12 years in the
.
First sketched
the back of a restaurant menu in Berlin in 2000, the designs received planning approval
2003, but securing the finances
significantly longer.
Funding stalled during the
crunch, until Qatar intervened in 2009, taking
95% of the investment.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saoud al Thani, the governor of Qatar Central Bank and chairman of the
of directors of Shard Funding Ltd, said: "The Shard is
newest London landmark and a beacon
the city of London’s resilience and expansion,
during tough economic
."
"It is a symbol of Qatar's belief and commitment
London both today
in the future."
However, the skyscraper's office space has
to be occupied - it will open with 26 floors vacant,
the developers say they are
discussion with a number of companies to fill
.
Rents
the best offices in London's financial district - the yardstick used by Shard developer Irvine Sellar
the offices at the bottom of
tower - have been £55
square foot since September 2010, property consultant CBRE said.
That is the longest period rents
not risen since records began in 1960.
A spectacular light and laser show will
the formal inauguration of the building, after a ceremony attended by Qatar's prime minister and
Duke of York.
A combination of 12 lasers and 30 searchlights will light
the night sky from the 95 storey building, accompanied
live music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Irvine Sellar, the chairman of Sellar Property, said: "The Shard is
iconic addition
the capital’s skyline and will be one
all of London can access and enjoy."
"It will become as essential a
of a visit to London as going to the top of the Empire State building is
visitors on a trip to New York.
"It will become a new symbol
the city and something London can be proud
. The Shard is fast becoming one of the most recognisable London skyline silhouettes."
The name "The Shard" is derived
the architect, Renzo Piano's description of the development
a "shard of glass" during planning stages.
Inspired
Canaletto's paintings of the Thames and
masts of the tall ships once anchored here, the idea was to create a kaleidoscope of a building - to reflect the city back
itself.
Renzo Piano told Sky News: "If London is a city of mobile sky, this building is a building of mobile view - it's never
same.
"The shards,
of being vertical, are
an angle, and so they reflect
sky."
Thursday marks the formal completion of the outside
the building, but work will continue inside to create the ten luxury residences, five star hotel, three floors of restaurants and office space,
will become, in the words of the developers, a "vertical city".
A viewing platform
the 69th floor will open
the public from February next year.
Adapted from: Sky News, July 5, 2012.
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