A "splinter", which with its 310 meters of height it dominates the five-circle sky of the City and of the whole of Europe. Not for long, given that the Mercury City Tower in Moscow, 332 meters high, will soon be inaugurated, but plenty of time to frame the 30th edition of the Summer Olympics and become one of its symbolic buildings, together with the Olympic Stadium and all the facilities which will give a new face to the English capital. With the inevitable touch of made in Italy.
Freshly inaugurated after three years of work, Indeed, “The Shard” bears the prestigious signature of the Italian architect Renzo Piano, called by the Emir of Qatar to build it in the context of a larger urban renewal project, largely financed by the Qatar National Bank.
The work, nicknamed "splinter" but which initially Piano had defined "kaleidoscope" (“since its all-glass walls reflect the weather and mood of the city, and the sky of london and the most changeable in the world”), it cost 450 million pounds (almost 600 million euros) and was presented on 5 July in grand style, with a spectacular show of laser beams projected into the sky, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Qatar Hamad Bin-Jassim and the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
The Shard has 92 plans, which will be able to accommodate up to a maximum of 12 thousand people: the first 30 will be offices, another 20 will host a luxury hotel, while from the 53rd up to the 72nd there will be residential apartments which will soon be put up for sale at a price of around 50 pounds per square metre. The top floors will instead be open to the public, who will be able to admire the impressive panoramic view for a price of 25 pounds for adults and 19 for children.
The skyscraper is in fact located in the heart of the City, a few steps from Tower Bridge, in one of the less affluent neighborhoods (the goal is precisely to redevelop it) and not far from the Olympic Village. However, it is precisely these circumstances that have sparked some controversy: for many Englishmen, the construction of a building like this in one of the most disadvantaged districts of the capital seemed like a real slap in the face, also because it is positioned so "well" - exactly above the London Bridge tube station – interruptive views from the green hills of Hampstead to St.Paul's Cathedral.
Absolutely respectable details and opinions, on the other hand it is known that no work in the world is born without a pinch of dissent. This one though it is the highest in Europe, and is already a medal for Italy.
