EU's tallest tower may add sheen to London
Source: Agencies |
January 27, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PASSENGERS stepping out of London Bridge tube station cannot help but crane their necks to gaze at the jagged tower under construction: the Shard is the tallest building in the European Union and looks like a slice of glass balanced on the edge of the financial district.
When the tower opens next year, visitors to the observation deck will see helicopters fly by at eye level and take in the metropolis all the way to the distant north Downs Hills.
The structure designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano dwarfs nearby landmarks like Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral.
The ambitious project speaks of now faded boom times: 1.5-billion-pound (US$2.34 billion) price tag, fancy restaurants, corporate office space, posh hotel. But it is being completed as Britain and Europe totter on the brink of recession - and the Shard will loom over a city in decline.
Neighbors are hoping the dramatic tower, visible from most parts of London, will bring big spenders to its south-of-the-river location, for centuries the less prosperous side of the Thames.
"I like the design, I like the promise. I think it's going to blast this neighborhood out of the water," said Cherille McNeil-Halward, 71, who runs a picture framing shop a few minutes away from the Shard. "This tower will bring people with money to spend here, and that's got to be a good thing."
There is no question that the Shard is a riveting addition to the traditionally low-rise London skyline. But some complain it dominates the view, obscuring sights such as St Paul's impressive dome.
The developer Irvine Sellar sees the project as a symbol of London's status as a world city. The 310-meter building is designed by an Italian, financed by the Qatar government, and Hong Kong-based hotel group Shangri-La were the first tenants to sign up.
"We want this building to be a building Londoners will feel ownership of," Sellar said. "You can eat there, you can work there, you can sleep there. And you can see the view from there."
The building's exterior will be finished in June but it is unlikely to open until early next year. It will open in a truly historic neighborhood, close to the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe, and Borough Market.
When the tower opens next year, visitors to the observation deck will see helicopters fly by at eye level and take in the metropolis all the way to the distant north Downs Hills.
The structure designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano dwarfs nearby landmarks like Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral.
The ambitious project speaks of now faded boom times: 1.5-billion-pound (US$2.34 billion) price tag, fancy restaurants, corporate office space, posh hotel. But it is being completed as Britain and Europe totter on the brink of recession - and the Shard will loom over a city in decline.
Neighbors are hoping the dramatic tower, visible from most parts of London, will bring big spenders to its south-of-the-river location, for centuries the less prosperous side of the Thames.
"I like the design, I like the promise. I think it's going to blast this neighborhood out of the water," said Cherille McNeil-Halward, 71, who runs a picture framing shop a few minutes away from the Shard. "This tower will bring people with money to spend here, and that's got to be a good thing."
There is no question that the Shard is a riveting addition to the traditionally low-rise London skyline. But some complain it dominates the view, obscuring sights such as St Paul's impressive dome.
The developer Irvine Sellar sees the project as a symbol of London's status as a world city. The 310-meter building is designed by an Italian, financed by the Qatar government, and Hong Kong-based hotel group Shangri-La were the first tenants to sign up.
"We want this building to be a building Londoners will feel ownership of," Sellar said. "You can eat there, you can work there, you can sleep there. And you can see the view from there."
The building's exterior will be finished in June but it is unlikely to open until early next year. It will open in a truly historic neighborhood, close to the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe, and Borough Market.
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