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Shard London Bridge
Information
Location	32 London Bridge Street
Status	Proposed
Roof	306 metres (1,003 feet)
Technical Details
Floor count	82
Floor area	111,400.00 m²
Developer	Sellar Property Group

Shard London Bridge — also known as London Bridge Tower and the Shard of Glass — is an as yet unbuilt skyscraper approved for construction in London.

Initial proposals were drawn up by Broadway Malyan, but towards the end of 2000 the Genoese master Renzo Piano was brought into rethinking the scheme. It would replace Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office building which was completed in 1976. The tower would be 306 metres (1,003 feet) tall and have 66 floors, plus further radiator floors in the roof, making it the tallest building in the country. After a lengthy public inquiry, it was granted full planning permission in November 2003.

When it was first announced, it was hoped that it would be the tallest building in Europe on completion. Another skyscraper, the Bishopsgate Tower, was submitted for planning permission in London and was originally proposed to exceed the height of the Shard by a metre. However, the scheduled height of the Bishopsgate Tower has now been reduced, so the Shard could once again become London's (and Britain's) tallest building if construction goes ahead.

Piano has compared his designs to "a shard of glass" - he considers the slender, spire-like form of the tower a positive addition to the London skyline and believes that its presence will be far more ethereal than opponents of the scheme allege. He proposes a sophisticated use of glazing, with expressive facades of angled panes intended to reflect light and the changing patterns of the sky, so that the form of the building will change according to the weather and seasons.

Construction was expected to begin in 2005, with completion in 2009. However in 2004, the company PricewaterhouseCoopers, who hold a long-term lease on Southwark Towers, decided that they were not willing to vacate before 2006. This pushed the earliest possible completion date back to the end of 2010. PwC are relocating their people into nearby offices and are expected to vacate the premises in July 2007(?), with demolition proceeding immediately afterwards and completion in 2011 or 2012.

The project would also involve major improvements to the concourse and facilities of London Bridge station. It would include shops, offices and flats as well as a museum and a public piazza. A hotel, to be operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts as their first European location, would be expected to take up around a fifth of the available space. A large pre-let for office space in the tower has been agreed in principle by Transport for London.

Another notable feature of the building would be a public viewing gallery at the top. This would be expected to draw over 2 million visitors a year, around the same number who visit the London Eye.

Powell, Kenneth; "New London Architecture", (2001, Hugh Merell, London), pp: 218-219

• Official website
• Petition to save the Shard
• Skyscrapernews.com page on the London Bridge Tower
• 'Shard of glass' set to join London skyline (The Guardian, 19 November 2003)
• London Bridge Tower Design concept of the Shard London Bridge Tower.
• Public comments on the tower

v • d • e Supertall proposed skyscrapers (at least 300m tall)
Proposed:	Chicago Spire • 175 Greenwich Street • 200 Greenwich Street • Al Burj • Signature Tower • Las Vegas Tower • Burj al Alam • Mubarak al-Kabir Tower • Plaza Rakyat • Russia Tower • Shard London Bridge • Empire World Towers • AIG Main Tower • Incheon Tower • International Business Center • Suyong Bay Tower • San Francisco Transbay Supertalls • Lotte Super Tower • Dubai Towers Istanbul • Phare Tower • Trans National Place • One Bayfront Plaza • India International Trade Center • Port tower complex •
Cancelled:	7 South Dearborn • Grollo Tower • Chicago World Trade Center • Project 2000 • Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle • Palace of Soviets • Park Square Tower • Larkin Building • Hotel Attraction • South Ferry Plaza • 1 New York Place • Hankang City Tower • Torre Generali • Sapphire Tower • Eaton's / John Maryon Tower • Lotte World II Hotel • Ryugyong • Palacio de la Bahía
Visions:	Pyramid City • Sky City 1000 • The Illinois • X-Seed 4000 • Aeropolis 2001 • Kostabi World Trade Center • Center of India Tower