Europe’s tallest building, Shard unveiled in London

PanARMENIAN.Net - Europe's tallest building, the Shard, has been officially unveiled in central London.

The Shard's tapered design and glass panelling have already made the skyscraper one of the capital's most recognisable landmarks. Just yards from the banks of the river Thames in Southwark, it seems to pierce the sky as it shoots more than 1,000ft into the air.

The tower, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, will contain offices, exclusive residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery across 72 habitable floors.

There are a further 15 levels which make up the "spire" – six of which have the potential to be used, with another nine exposed to the elements.

The 309.6-metre (1,016-foot) skyscraper is joint-owned by the state of Qatar and the Sellar Property Group and was funded by the Qatar National Bank.

It was originally only nicknamed the Shard after Piano described it as a "shard of glass" in the planning stages, but the name stuck.

The building was inaugurated by the prime minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, and the Duke of York.

Londoners were treated to a spectacular laser show to be projected from the Shard shortly after 10pm.

The event marks the completion of the exterior of the building, with work on the inside expected to continue into 2013.

The skyscraper is part of a 2m-sq-ft development in Southwark called London Bridge Quarter.

The Shard and its sister development the Place are linked with London Bridge station through a new central plaza, bus station and railway station concourse.

The Shard's tenure at the top of the European height chart is likely to be short-lived, as the 332-metre Mercury City Tower in Russia is set to be completed by the end of the year.

Tickets to go up and see the view from 244 metres above London will go on sale at 9am on Friday at a cost of £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children.

The View from The Shard attraction will open on 1 February next year and more than 17,500 people have already registered their interest online, The Guardian said.