by Brianna Crandall — July 23, 2012—The completion of London’s already-iconic “The Shard” skyscraper was recently marked by a nighttime celebration including an impressive laser show accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. At 310 meters (1016 feet) and boasting an equivalent of 95 floors, the new tower is considered the tallest building in Europe.
Designed by Italian Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, The Shard will contain 595,000 sq. ft. of London’s “most spectacular” offices, a five star Shangri-La Hotel, luxury residences, retail space, restaurants, a spa and five stories of public galleries featuring 360° views of London. The “vertical city” features a sophisticated use of glazing, with expressive façades of angled glass panes designed to reflect sunlight and the sky above. The building’s appearance is intended to vary with the weather and seasons.
Mace acted as principal contractor on the development, in conjunction with WSP (engineers) and Severfield Reeve Structures (steel). Mace used the Asta Powerproject Enterprise software solution to manage the massive construction project.
The Shard is situated at London Bridge Quarter, a new commercial district on the vibrant Southbank, located at one of London’s most significant transport interchanges. The London Bridge Quarter, developed by the Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Limited, also includes The Place, an innovative headquarters building that will provide 428,000 sq. ft. of efficient office space over 17 stories as well as a landscaped roof terrace with “spectacular” views of London.
The Quarter’s public area will include art installations, mature planting and places to relax, in addition to new retail at concourse and underground level. The development will also transform London Bridge Station to the highest standard of international transport design, delivering a new bus station and train station concourse, says the developer.
