On the eve of the Summer Olympic Games and the anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the construction of the Shard London Bridge skyscraper was completed in London. This building is currently the tallest in Europe and is expected to become a symbol of the city.
The Shard London Bridge, 310 meters high and weighing over 500 tons, was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. The building has the shape of an elongated pyramid, somewhat reminiscent of a shard of glass, which, by the way, fully corresponds to the name of the skyscraper (shard - "shard"). Due to several sharp-angled edges directed upward, converging, but not touching at the highest point, the structure creates the impression that there is a cavity inside it.
During the construction of the skyscraper, 800 steel parts were used, and the walls consist of 11 thousand glass panels sparkling in the sun. The 95 floors will house luxurious living quarters, offices, winter gardens, a five-star Shangri La hotel with 195 rooms, several restaurants and observation decks (floors 68-72). According to preliminary data, the cost of apartments in this building will start at 36 million euros, and the price per square meter will be more than 6,000 euros.
The main investor in the construction of the tallest skyscraper was the Arab state of Qatar, whose National Bank invested 80 percent of the total cost in the construction of the building, and the rest of the funds belonged to the London construction company Irive Sellar Property Group. In total, the construction of the skyscraper cost $ 2.35 billion.
Today, the Shard London Bridge ranks first among the tallest skyscrapers in Europe and at 59th in the world ranking of high-rise buildings. However, this skyscraper will not hold its leading position for long. A 320-meter Hermitage Plaza tower is already being erected in Paris, which should be completed by 2016. And in Moscow, two tall buildings are being built at once - the Mercury City Tower 327 meters high and the Federation Tower, the height of which, together with the spire, will reach 590 meters.
