Shard London Bridge, previously known as London Bridge Tower, and also known as the Shard of Glass, 32 London Bridge and The Shard, is a skyscraper under construction in Southwark, London. When completed in 2012, it will be the tallest building in the European Union and the 45th tallest building in the world. It is the second tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom after the 1,084 ft (330.4m) Emley Moor transmitting station.
| Height | |
|---|---|
| Antenna or spire | 1,017 ft (310 m) |
| Roof | 1,003 ft (306 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 87 (Including radiator floors), 72 (habitable) |
| Floor area | 1,200,000 sq ft (111,000 m2) |
Shard London Bridge
The Shard was announced with the hope that it would be the tallest building in Europe, surpassing Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Tower, which at 259 m (850 ft) had held the record since 1997. The Commerzbank has since been surpassed in height by two Moscow skyscrapers, Triumph-Palace and Naberezhnaya Tower, both of which will in their turn be surpassed by the Shard tower. However, in 2005 construction started on a skyscraper in Moscow that will rise higher than the Shard, the Mercury City Tower. The Federation Tower East, under construction, was intended to be higher than the Shard but has now been put on hold. Nevertheless, if it is completed on schedule the Shard London Bridge will become the tallest building in the European Union. It may eventually be surpassed by the Hermitage Plaza building (323 metres) planned for La Défense.
Another London skyscraper under construction, the Bishopsgate Tower, was originally proposed to exceed the height by one metre. However, because of concerns from the Civil Aviation Authority, the height of the Bishopsgate Tower has been reduced to 288 m.
 Construction in June 2009 |
 Construction in February 2010 |
 Construction in July 2010 |
 Construction in August 2010 |
 Construction in late September 2010 |
 Construction in early October 2010 |
.jpg) Construction in late October 2010 |
 Construction in early November 2010 |
 The Shard in late November 2010 |
 Construction in late December 2010 |
